Stupid virus alert e-mails

[loren]

Antivirus programs are DELIBERATELY increasing the severity of this problem. I told Symantec years ago about it, but I think they're still sending virus alerts for all infected e-mails found by NAV Exchange Server. If so, they should be forced to pay for the damage they have done. I just sent the message below to Symantec:


The following is from a MSNBC article on the Sobig virus:

"One reason for the volume of e-mails generated is that the e-mail messages by which the virus spreads are forged to appear to come from genuine Internet users. Many anti-virus systems respond by sending an automatic alert back to the Internet user, telling them they are infected. Users whose e-mail addresses have been thus forged can then receive hundreds of these virus alerts, adding to Internet traffic jams."

I told you two years ago that sending an e-mail message back to a user for every infected file his computer sent out is STUPID because it just increases the volume of e-mail that servers must handle at a time when they are already overloaded with the virus' own e-mail messages. I bet you didn't listen. You should be forced to pay damages for spamming servers this way.

Symantec doesn't seem to listen to its real users for product changes. Instead, it listens to system administrators (aka net-nazis) who don't know sh*t from shinola.

[reboot]

Hi loren, welcome to PCMech! :D
I agree. Of the approximately 750 sobig emails I have recieved today, 150 more are virus alert emails, from one server or another, including Symantec.

[Mac Medic]

I turned off auto-responder on my exchange server simply because of this. Although I disagree symantec are to blame, I think it's up to the sys-admin to be responsible for their server. I also disagree that it's SPAM, it is simply an alert to the sender thet they are dispursing viruses, but in the case of a virus that spoofs addresses it's useless and should be filtered by the admin.

[CarlS]

I disagree. Not everyone is on a LAN; some of us are on stand alones and we have no way to block these auto-responder messages. It is spamming.

[doctorgonzo]

It's irritating and an ineffective tactic to boot. As noted, the reply addresses are taken from the inftected person's address book. So if A has B and C in their address book, B gets the virus, appearing to come from C. Telling C that he or she is infected doesn't accomplish anything because it isn't true.

[Parangles]

We are in deep trouble now with this new alliance between spammers and virus writers. Making spam illegal with very serious penalties is the only answer, but no politician wants to appear to be anti business or marketing .