Beware! Its a Cyber World - - Summary:
Widely spreading warning message claims that an email with an attached Power Point presentation called "Life is beautiful" is a virus that will destroy all files on the infected computer.
In fact, the information in the message is false. There is not, nor has there ever been a virus like the one described in this message. The email is a hoax and should not be forwarded to others.
Let's have a look towards the contents of the mail:
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Subject: FW: Fwd: FW: Fwd: READ IMMEDIATELY AND INFORM ALL
Please Be Extremely Careful especially if using internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on.
This information arrived this morning direct from both Microsoft and Norton.
Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet.
You may receive an apparently harmless email with a Power Point presentation
'Life is beautiful.'
If you receive it DO NOT OPEN THE FILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES , and delete it immediately.
If you open this file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful.'
Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC and the person who sent it to you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.
This is a new virus which started to circulate on Tuesday afternoon.
AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the antivirus software's are not capable of destroying it.
The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner'
PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS and ask them to PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY
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Beware! Its aCyber World - - Explanation:
This "warning" claims that a very destructive virus disguised as a Power Point Presentation called "Life is beautiful" is currently being distributed via email. However, there is not, nor has there ever been a virus like the one described in this message.
There are several variants of the hoax, including versions in Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian and several other languages. The message tries to add authority to its claims by mentioning high-profile companies such as Microsoft and AOL. Incidentally, Microsoft does not send out unsolicited virus warnings. Moreover, "Norton" is the name given to a range of security software products sold by Symantec Corp. Thus, information about virus threats is published by "Symantec", not "Norton". In this case, Symantec has published information about the "Life is beautiful" message - but only to denounce it as a hoax.
This hoax started circulating in early 2002 and it has been passed around ever since. In spite of a great deal of online exposure, the hoax tends to resurge from time to time and its rate of circulation increases dramatically for a few months. As hoax emails go, this is one of the most "successful". Perhaps because of the apparent destructiveness of the "virus" and the urgent tone of the warning, people are apt to forward the message without much forethought. Like many other hoaxes, it capitalizes on the recipient's desire to help other Internet users by warning them of a perceived threat.
Before forwarding a virus warning email, it is always a good idea to check that the information in the message is valid. Virus hoaxes are quite common, and like this one, they tend to circulate for years after they are first launched. In other cases, virus warnings that may have been originally true circulate long after the described virus has ceased to be a significant threat. Virus hoaxes and outdated warnings are no help to anybody. All they do is waste time, cause confusion and needlessly clutter in-boxes. Such problems mean that forwarding warning emails may not be the best way to help battle viruses and other computer security threats.
There are several variants of the hoax, including versions in Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian and several other languages. The message tries to add authority to its claims by mentioning high-profile companies such as Microsoft and AOL. Incidentally, Microsoft does not send out unsolicited virus warnings. Moreover, "Norton" is the name given to a range of security software products sold by Symantec Corp. Thus, information about virus threats is published by "Symantec", not "Norton". In this case, Symantec has published information about the "Life is beautiful" message - but only to denounce it as a hoax.
This hoax started circulating in early 2002 and it has been passed around ever since. In spite of a great deal of online exposure, the hoax tends to resurge from time to time and its rate of circulation increases dramatically for a few months. As hoax emails go, this is one of the most "successful". Perhaps because of the apparent destructiveness of the "virus" and the urgent tone of the warning, people are apt to forward the message without much forethought. Like many other hoaxes, it capitalizes on the recipient's desire to help other Internet users by warning them of a perceived threat.
Before forwarding a virus warning email, it is always a good idea to check that the information in the message is valid. Virus hoaxes are quite common, and like this one, they tend to circulate for years after they are first launched. In other cases, virus warnings that may have been originally true circulate long after the described virus has ceased to be a significant threat. Virus hoaxes and outdated warnings are no help to anybody. All they do is waste time, cause confusion and needlessly clutter in-boxes. Such problems mean that forwarding warning emails may not be the best way to help battle viruses and other computer security threats.
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