Virus? Genuine info?

[David Brear]

I keep getting emails, ostensibly from 'Microsoft Corporation Network Public
Services <[email protected]>' which say that 'this is
the latest version of security update, the
"September 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all
known security vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer,
Outlook and Outlook Express as well as five newly discovered
vulnerabilities.' and have attachments (today's is update971.exe) which I am
advised to run.

So far I've deleted them - but are they genuine? They have apparently
genuine links to MS web sites and email addresses. I note that the Windows
Update web site is now windowsupdate.microsoft.com, though.

--
David Brear

Conserv@tion
http://www.habitat.org.uk/news1.htm
Daily wildlife news from the British Isles

 

[Lorne Smith]

This is a known hoax... Microsoft NEVER EVER EVER send security patches to
individual users... The most they may do is issue a security alert and
provide a link to the patch which will be located on a Microsoft server, but
only if your subscribe to certain security alert services.

Continue to delete them

Lorne

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I keep getting emails, ostensibly from 'Microsoft Corporation Network
Public Services <[email protected]>' which say
that 'this is the latest version of security update, the
"September 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all
known security vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer,
Outlook and Outlook Express as well as five newly discovered
vulnerabilities.' and have attachments (today's is update971.exe)
which I am advised to run.

So far I've deleted them - but are they genuine?

They are will-known hoaxes, and the attachment almost certainly
contain viruses. Microsoft *never* sounds patches out as
attachments. Continue to delete them.

 

[The Unknown P]

Microft is a huge corporation but not even they have the
resources to e:mail everyone in the world. Delete anything
claiming to be from them as it's a hoax and then add the
senders address to your block list and if you feel
strongly about it then report them to your IP. Keep smiling

 

[Danny Mingledorff]

I received one of these today, and the attention to detail in formatting the
message was impressive. It's no wonder so many people have been fooled.