Suspect E-mails?

[colbell]

I have just recieved two mails from a source I know, each with attachments ending in .scr

I cannot remember what a .scr is for, so I am loath to open the attachments.
Does this mean my trusted source is compromised with a virus?

[doctorgonzo]

They are script files. Don't open them; delete them and tell your source to run an anti-virus scan right away.

That extension is also used for screensavers, so if your source told you before that he/she was going to be emailing you some screensavers, it might be legit. But it is still better safe than sorry. Don't open attachments unless you absolutely know what's in them.

[Hot Rod]

I rec'd two of them with the scr extension the other day. Norton caught them as viruses. Deleted them right away.

[Edave]

I have received a total of 7 emails just today with virus's attached to them.Its the most i have ever received in one day.4 were scr files and 3 were exe.Getting pretty annoying.

[colbell]

I guess I ought to change my antivirus - It hasn't found them to be a virus and was updated yesterday, I'm using AVG from Grisoft.
I used to use Norton, but it caused problems with my compy.
Any others?

[Iman74]

Originally posted by colbell I guess I ought to change my antivirus - It hasn't found them to be a virus and was updated yesterday, I'm using AVG from Grisoft. I used to use Norton, but it caused problems with my compy. Any others?

I use Norton and I love it; but to answer your question did you try McAfee yet?

[doubledragon5]

I heard somewhere on the site before that using McAfee is like not having virus protection at all.

My father inlaw uses McAffee and he has had virus on quit a few occasions. The only time I had a virus using Norton was when I had it disabled.

[colbell]

I updated AVG again and this time it's found them to be viruses, of the I-worm version called Klep.....
I've e-mailed all my contacts, as checking my mail this morning, I've recieved some more from another source, who is in contact with the original sender as well.
Thankfully I can say I'm virus free.

[Computer Hobbyist]

How many of you have an ISP who screens email for viri? Mine does and I haven't received a virus since it started screening. I still use an anti-virus program (actually I have three different programs one each on various machines) and never open attachments unless I am really sure. Never-the-less since my ISP started screening, viri in my email have dropped to zero.

CH

[doctorgonzo]

My ISP doesn't scan for virii, but I have Norton scan incoming e-mail, and so far I haven't been infected with anything. Not that Norton has had to catch much; in the past sixth months I think I have only opened one attachment that was a virus. That time, for some reason I just couldn't help myself.

[mikeheitz]

there are a couple things to remember...

1. Even if you open the email with a virus, you are not infected unless you open the attachment.
2. You are only as safe as your most recent virus definition.
3. If in doubt of a file, you can save it to your hard disk and scan it for a virus without getting infected.
4. The obvious... don't open it unless you know it's clean... regardless of who it came from.

I run a network with a couple hundred users on it, and we haven't had a virus since February of 2001. I've never been infected at home either. Evenif you do not have the best AV software, using common sense will ensure that you do not get infected.

[Computer Hobbyist]

Mike

Sound advice.

My network's NAV downloads the newest definition every night. Even then, there is always a chance a user can be infected by a brand new virus, or one that your AV vender hasn't yet cracked. That's why I kind of like the ISP, who uses something other than Norton, screening as well. Defense comes in multiple layers.

I think there are a few viruses out there that will infect even if you don't open the attachment.

I never trust any attachment from anybody, even if I know the person named on the header. The only exception is when I know the attachment is coming.

In the last couple of years I have had two viri on computers I "supervise." One was on my daughter's machine. Some boy she knows sent her this "cute picture." The "cute picture" was infected. The other was on the machine of a young lawyer who got an infected email from one of his friends. In both instances the virus checker caught the virus. In my daughter's case, she thought the machine would work better if she turned it off and on again (rebooting is the standard way to make things all better in windows--one fo my principal gripes with Microsoft) so by the time she told me about the virus, the easiest solution was to reformat the drive. In the case of the young lawyer. The virus was caught and cleaned off his machine before he was able to do any damage. Both thought they could trust the "person" who sent them the infected attachment. Both were wrong. Both viri came via automatic address book mailings. Neither the boy nor the friend knowingly sent the mail. Both were victims themselves.

CH

[RayH]

I don't open ANY attatchments unless I absolutely know what I'm getting. Even then, there's no guarantee that an expected file or attachment isn't coming from an infected computer.

In the folder options, I have UNCHECKED the hide known file extentions. I want to know exactly what the file extention is.