FW: Computer Virus Hoax Alert!!!

[Philip.Mccracken@xxxxxxxxxxx]

-A~
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To: .Everyone in TBP; .Everyone in TCC (HQ); .Everyone in TCR (HQ); 
 .Everyone in TOA/TPA; .Everyone in TPL; .Everyone in TPM; .Everyone in TRI; 
 .Everyone in TRO-1; .Everyone in TRO-10; .Everyone in TRO-2; .Everyone in 
TRO-3; .Everyone in TRO-4; .Everyone in TRO-5; .Everyone in TRO-6; .Everyone 
in TRO-7; .Everyone in TRO-8; .Everyone in TRO-9; Dehoyos, Angela <FHWA>; 
Grijalva, Sylvia <FHWA>; Poka, Ervin <FHWA>; Stevens, Spencer <FHWA>; 
Terwilliger, Cindy <FHWA>; .DynCorp; .Everyone in TAD
Subject: Hoax Alert!!!
Date: Monday, February 02, 1998 6:57PM
Priority: High

It's time for me to send out my annual "Hoax Alert" message.  Every once in 
a while, someone creates an e-mail virus "hoax" trying to convince everyone 
on the receiving end that the simple process of opening an e-mail message 
will trash your system.  Opening an e-mail message in and of itself cannot 
spread a virus.  You must take the extra step of executing an infected file 
attachment.

FTA has been plagued by the "GOOD TIMES" hoax, the "DEEYENDA" hoax, and now 
most recently the "JOIN THE CREW" hoax.  These hoaxes always warn of 
impending doom just by your opening a message.  They always sound official 
(one "JOIN THE CREW" message I saw actually added an official-sounding name, 
mailing address and web-site to contact for "more info") and they always 
advise you to immediately forward the warning to "everyone you know."

The U.S. Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC) 
provides computer security services to employees and contractors of the 
United States Department of Energy.  Since its inception in 1989, CIAC has 
garnered worldwide respect as a secure source of information related to 
computer viruses.

The following paragraph is an excerpt from CIAC's "Internet Hoaxes" Web page 
(http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html):

"For a virus to spread, it must be executed. Reading a mail message does not 
execute the mail message. Trojans and viruses have been found as executable 
attachments to mail messages, but they must be extracted and executed to do 
any harm. CIAC still affirms that reading E-mail, using typical mail agents, 
can not activate malicious code delivered in or with the message."

CAUTION:  As CIAC states, a virus cannot be spread by simply reading an 
e-mail message.  It should be pointed out, however, that if a virus-infected 
program is included as an ATTACHMENT to the e-mail message and the user 
intentionally executes the program by double-clicking on the attachment, or 
saving the attachment and then executing it, the virus will activate.  While 
it is generally safe to double-click a document icon, such as an Ami Pro 
file for example, NEVER double-click an attachment with a file name 
extension of ".com" or ".exe" without saving it first and scanning it for 
viruses.