Microsoft vs Norton

[kate]

Today I received from Microsoft an e mail headed "newest
internet critical patch" with an attachment. When I
opened the attachment, a message read "Norton Antivirus
had removed the attachment: update. exe, because it was
infected with the W32.Swen.A@mm virus."

Does anyone know what's happened here?

Thank you.

 

[Mike Aubert]

Hi Kate,



That's not an email from Microsoft - it's a virus. The virus forges the
e-mail address to make it look like the email is from Microsoft but it's
actually not. This page has more info on the virus and if you scroll about
half way down you can see a picture of the fake Microsoft email:



http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]



As far as I'm aware, Microsoft will never send you files via email unless
you request them.



Just to be safe online, never open files from people you do not know or even
if you do know the person and the file ends with .exe, .com, .bat, .pif,
..scr (or if the file is zipped and the .zip file contains one of these file
types inside) do not open the file*.



Mike



* These are just the most common ones, there are a bunch more that are
considered "dangerous." Here is a link to one list that came up on Google:

http://www.kingsley-hughes.com/tech/safe_and_unsafe_file_extensions.htm



------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Aubert
MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA
(e-mail address removed)

Note the "news2" in my email address is temporary and may be changed in the
future, remove it to email me at my Permanente address.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Kent Smith]

Today I received from Microsoft an e mail headed "newest
internet critical patch" with an attachment. When I
opened the attachment, a message read "Norton Antivirus
had removed the attachment: update. exe, because it was
infected with the W32.Swen.A@mm virus."

Does anyone know what's happened here?

Thank you.

Kate:

As reported by your AV software, you were sent a virus (Swen) which
Norton blocked. Microsoft never sends patches out, you MUST go to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com to get them. This is why. I get
anywhere from one to ten Swen virus emails daily.

--Kent

=================================
Kent Smith * IPSO Incorporated
Business * Technology * Solutions
Financial Services and Accounting Systems Consulting

http://www.ipsoinc.com