Questions and Answers About Virus E-mail
Q: Viruses send emails?
A: For years now the biggest waves of viruses to sweep across the internet are ones that use email to spread themselves from one computer to the next. However, virus writers have become smarter over the years, and in fact their viruses have become smarter as well. No longer does emails containing viruses come from set accounts, but they can take over your account, meaning once a virus has infected your computer it can send viruses from your email address. Not only that, but there are some viruses now that not only send from your account, but can also look like they are being sent out by you if your name is in someone else's address book.
Q: You mean that a I can be sending out viruses even if I don't have a virus?!
A: Sort of. Email programs like Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird allow you to decide how your name is displayed when you send email. You can display your email address, your name, or anyone else's name, it doesn't matter. And since most email viruses look through a person's computer for any and all email addresses to send itself too, they also can change the name of the sender to look like someone from that list. That person (who probably doesn't even have the virus) gets yelled at by whoever gets infected instead of the person whose computer really is infected. It's all a tactic that has come to be known as "spoofing an email address". Virus writers employ spoofing in hopes of tricking someone into opening the email that will infect their machine, all the while keeping the identity of the infected computer a secret so it can send out more viruses. Unfortunately, even if you protect your own machine from being infected, there is nothing you can do to stop a virus from spoofing your name if it is in someone else's address book.
Q: What about this email from admin@sandiego.edu? Is that okay to open?
A: No, that too is a virus. Using the same ability to change the name of the sender, the virus generates an important sounding name with an important sounding subject line (ex. "Your email account will be shut down" or "Use this patch against viruses") in hopes of tricking someone into opening it. It is a technique that has hit colleges, business and other organizations hard, as they always sound like it's a legitimate email. Some email addresses to avoid are:
- admin@sandiego.edu
- administrator@sandiego.edu
- moderator@sandiego.edu
- service@sandiego.edu
- webmaster@sandiego.edu
Please note that there are an endless number of spoofed email addresses that can be used, as well as all sorts of randomly generated subject lines and body messages.
Q: Great, so how do I know what is really from USD and what isn't?
A: All of USD's system administrators have names, and if they ever need to send out an email they use their full name as an email display. They always sign every message they send with signatures that include their name, position and contact information. And they will never send out any email with an attachment.
If you belong to a group on campus that regularly sends out email, be sure to learn what email address it sends it from and what name it displays.
Q: Any other tips to keep my computer safe?
A: Sure.
- Always let others know (phone, instant messenger, another email) that you are sending them an attachment and ask them to do the same. That way you know what attachments are safe to open and which are from viruses.
- Make sure your virus software is updated regularly. That way if you accidentally open up an infected email the virus scan will hopefully detect it and catch it before it can do much damage.
- Run regular virus scans to make sure your computer isn't infected. You might be sending out messages without ever knowing it.
