Security updates via e-mail?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sonny
  • Start date Start date
S

Sonny

Hello,
The past week I have received several e-mails about MS
security updates. When I click on the properties to check
out the address it doesn't look right. How do I know if
the e-mails are truley from Microsoft?
 
Greetings --

What you received is either a very common malicious hoax or the
output of a computer infected by one of several wide-spread, mass
emailing worms. The most widely-known are:

W32.Swen.A_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

W32.Dumaru_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

W32.Gibe_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

Microsoft never has, does not currently, and never will email
unsolicited security patches. At the most, if, and only if, you
subscribe to their security notification newsletter, they will send
you an email informing you that a new patch is available for
downloading.

Microsoft Policies on Software Distribution
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/?url=/technet/security/policy/swdist.asp

Information on Bogus Microsoft Security Bulletin Emails
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/news/patch_hoax.asp

How to Tell If a Microsoft Security-Related Message Is Genuine
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/authenticate_mail.asp

Any and all legitimate patches and updates are readily available
at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. (Notice that this is the true
URL, rather than the bogus one that may have been contained in the
email you received.) Any messages that point to any other source(s) or
claim to have the patch attached are bogus.

You're receiving these emails because your email address is in
the address book of someone infected with a worm, and/or because you
posted your real email address somewhere on-line, either in a forum
accessible to the public and spambots, such as Usenet, or on an
untrustworthy web site that subsequently sold your address as part of
a mailing list. One thing you can do is notify _everyone_ with whom
you've ever corresponded via email that one or more of them may be
infected with a mass emailing worm, and should take the appropriate
steps.

There's probably no way of blocking all of the bogus messages, but
you can greatly reduce the number you get by creating a rule, based
upon the most commonly used subject lines, to delete the emails from
the server without ever downloading them.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
microsoft doesn't send updates by email. that's how you can tell. also,
most of those false emails all look exactly the same. and finally, most of
them also contain attachemtns with viruses, which shoulkd have been caught
by your A/V software.

-kw
 
I opened the email, but not the attachment. Norton hasn't
caught anything (I have the latest edition installed).
Should I worry?
 
Note: I didn't open the MS email patch, but an email that
had an attachment, and a web page with addresses--used
the Microsoft background/page set up that is identical to
this page. Very frustrated--don't know WHO to believe at
this point!! Again, didn't open the attachment, just the
email itself from "microsoft corporation".
 
A devious imposter is "spoofing" Microsoft and attempting to deceive you
into installing a malicious VIRUS in your computer! Delete the VIRUS
laden message immediately!

Microsoft never sends file attachments with email messages!

Please take a moment to read the following articles:

Information on Bogus Microsoft Security Bulletin E-mails
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/news/patch_hoax.asp

How to Tell If a Microsoft Security-Related Message Is Genuine
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/authenticate_mail.asp

How to Trim the "Spam" from Your E-Mail Diet
http://www.microsoft.com/security/articles/spam.asp


--
Nicholas

---------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hello,
| The past week I have received several e-mails about MS
| security updates. When I click on the properties to check
| out the address it doesn't look right. How do I know if
| the e-mails are truley from Microsoft?
|
 
I opened the email, but not the attachment. Norton hasn't
caught anything (I have the latest edition installed).
Should I worry?
Click to expand...

Never open un-solicitated e-amil attachments. No company sends out
pathes via e-mail. The most they do is send you link to their website so
you can download the patch.

--

David

"Due to Viewer dicretion...
Graphic violence is advised"
 
Greetings --

If you didn't run the attachment, you should be safe. Just delete
the message.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
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