Subject: Happy99.exe virus easy to avoid (fwd)

From: Victor Guest <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 08:27:57 WST

This is the most practical and sensible advise I could pass on about
virus'
Vic
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From: "Michele Gale-Sinex/CIAS, UW-Madison" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]

Howdy, all--

Nancy G-S wrote:

> I only post verified virus warnings. This is a verified virus warning.

Nancy, you deserve a pat on the back for that.

<<<pat>>>>

Happy99.exe uses an old method of launching a viral payload. It's a
new virus, but easy to avoid. 

Here is a simple source for learning more about the virus, including
what to do to avoid it:

Network Associates, Inc., page
http://beta.nai.com/public/datafiles/valerts/vinfo/w32ska.htm

To summarize, NAI writes:

"AVERT cautions all users who may receive the attachment via email
to simply delete the mail and the attachment. The worm infects a
system via email delivery and arrives as an attachment called
Happy99.EXE. It is sent unknowingly by a user. When the program is
run it deploys its payload displaying fireworks on the users
monitor."

So keep your eyes open. If someone sends you an e-mail message with
an attachment called Happy99.exe, delete the booger. Simple.

That's good practice in general. 

1) Always check to see what attachments are (e-mail software will
indicate the file type) before opening them.

2) NEVER open e-mail attachments that are .exe files unless you know
what they are and know they're safe. I can count on one hand, with
fingers left over, the folks I'd trust to send me clean .exe files.

3) Always let the person know who sent it to you that they are
shedding a virus--it's up to them to stop transmitting it, as well 
as to you not to pass it along. 

If you get and send e-mail, knowing how to receive and send
attachments is a basic skill that will empower you to avoid problems
like this. 

I go one step farther. Anyone who sends me an attachment without
informing me of the file type or its safety, I delete the attachment.
If I know for sure that the sender practices safe sectors, I accept
non-executable (non-.EXE) attachments, but not MS-Word ones (which
can carry Macro viruses).

Hope this helps. And I'd appreciate thoughts from any of you who know 
more about this than I do.

peace
misha

PS--GeoCities Silicon Valley reports that it does not infect Mac, DOS, or
Win 3.x operating systems. It also tells what to do if you're infected
already:

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3652/SKA.HTM