Email Virus

[wilsonf]

Last night I discovered my Yahoo address book had been compromised, and that everyone on it had received an email that purported to come from me and included a web link which upon opening was a virus. I only discovered this when one of those who received the email contacted me to say that he (fortunately) couldn't open the link.

I checked in my 'Sent' folder and there was no record of this email being sent.

The subject of this viral Emal was RE:Http://, I recall seeing such an email in my 'spam' folder, but as always, I deleted it along with all the other spam without opening it.

I contacted Yahoo and they suggested several ways to protect my mail account and address book, but because there was no obvious way that my address book had been compromised (as I hadn't opened the spam mail), they suggested I contact Norton who provide my pc security. The first service agent shocked me by saying that Email from Yahoo & Hotmail are not protected by Norton. I pointed out to them that in the status box of Norton it clearly says "You are protected for web browsing and Email", despite me pointing out that this was a 'global' statement and that all of my friends who use Norton were under the impression that they had paid for something that offered complete protection, and indicated so, and that they also considered Nortons statement misleading at the very least, they confirmed again that Norton does not offer any protection for Emails from Yahoo and Hotmail, although it will scan for anything you attempt to download from them such as attachments, but the emails and content are not protected or scanned for virus's.

Am I and my friends the only ones that assumed from Nortons statement "you are protected forweb browsing and Emails" to mean just that and not only partial protection from certaim microsoft email programmes.

[whybother]

Are you using Yahoo online? Do you have Norton installed on your computer?

Assuming 'Yes' to both questions, how do you expect Norton, installed on your computer, to check emails that you receive on an online email service?

The Norton statement refers to anything that you do on your computer. It can't check things that are not on your computer.

If you view a suspect website, it will warn you. If you download a suspect file, it will warn you. If an email is sitting on a server on the other side of the world (ie Yahoo servers), it can't do anything about it.

[wilsonf]

Are you using Yahoo online? Do you have Norton installed on your computer?

Assuming 'Yes' to both questions, how do you expect Norton, installed on your computer, to check emails that you receive on an online email service?

The Norton statement refers to anything that you do on your computer. It can't check things that are not on your computer.

If you view a suspect website, it will warn you. If you download a suspect file, it will warn you. If an email is sitting on a server on the other side of the world (ie Yahoo servers), it can't do anything about it.

Thank you for that explaination, to someone who is not very computer literate it was much easier to understand.

But why does Norton then say that there is Email protection

Also

As I recieved in my spam folder, the email that appears to have had the virus and deleted it without opening it how is it that despite not visiting any dubious web sites and only sending and receiving emails from personal friends, that access was gained to my address book, and emails sent to every one on it, yet no record is in my sent folder

Neither Yahoo or Norton were able to offer any explaination for this

[whybother]

Thank you for that explaination, to someone who is not very computer literate it was much easier to understand.

But why does Norton then say that there is Email protection

Also

As I recieved in my spam folder, the email that appears to have had the virus and deleted it without opening it how is it that despite not visiting any dubious web sites and only sending and receiving emails from personal friends, that access was gained to my address book, and emails sent to every one on it, yet no record is in my sent folder

Neither Yahoo or Norton were able to offer any explaination for this

There IS email protection if you download your email to your computer using Outlook (or any number of email programs). This problem has nothing to do with Norton. Norton does not check mail in your online email accounts. There is no way that it can. (Technically, they *could* do it, but it's not really feasible.)

Somehow, someone has got hold of a list of email addresses, maybe from your Yahoo contacts, but most likely just from a group mail that someone has forwarded on without deleting old email information.

Once they have your email address, how ever they got it, they just send a spam email from where ever they have the spam programs (called spam BOTs - or something like that).

They don't send the spam mail from your Yahoo account.

Edited March 28, 2011 by whybother

[petedk]

Somehow, someone has got hold of a list of email addresses, maybe from your Yahoo contacts, but most likely just from a group mail that someone has forwarded on without deleting old email information.

Once they have your email address, how ever they got it, they just send a spam email from where ever they have the spam programs (called spam BOTs - or something like that).

They don't send the spam mail from your Yahoo account.

That's why it's important to delete the previous senders email addresses when forwarding emails. I stress to my friends to do the same with my emails.

Some of the forwarded emails I receive have endless pages of previous senders' email addresses which can easily be used for spam.

[wilsonf]

Please forgive the lack of computer knowledge from someone of the 'older' generation who really only uses his computer for Email, writing letters and saving pictures from his camera.

I understand now that all my Emails are on a server somewhere else in the world, does this mean that my Yahoo Address book was compromised at Yahoo itself and there would have been nothing I could do about it.

I understand that if I download any attachment that my Norton will scan it for virus content.

As I often see warnings not to open any emails from sources you don't know, is it possible to have your computer infected by just opening an email.

I have just received an Email from someone I have not heard from for years with just RE: in the subject line, I am reluctant to even open it, if there is a possibility it could contain a virus, even though it is from someone in my address book.

These are probably basic knowledge to someone computer literate, but for me now I'm worried about opening any Emails whether from those I know or not if in the subject line, the subject is vague

[petedk]

Please forgive the lack of computer knowledge from someone of the 'older' generation who really only uses his computer for Email, writing letters and saving pictures from his camera.

I understand now that all my Emails are on a server somewhere else in the world, does this mean that my Yahoo Address book was compromised at Yahoo itself and there would have been nothing I could do about it.

I understand that if I download any attachment that my Norton will scan it for virus content.

As I often see warnings not to open any emails from sources you don't know, is it possible to have your computer infected by just opening an email.

I have just received an Email from someone I have not heard from for years with just RE: in the subject line, I am reluctant to even open it, if there is a possibility it could contain a virus, even though it is from someone in my address book.

These are probably basic knowledge to someone computer literate, but for me now I'm worried about opening any Emails whether from those I know or not if in the subject line, the subject is vague

I'd rather play safe and delete them if there is no subject. Often if you open these emails there is a link to view some "super product" or "photos" or whatever. DON"T click on the link.

[whybother]

Please forgive the lack of computer knowledge from someone of the 'older' generation who really only uses his computer for Email, writing letters and saving pictures from his camera.

I understand now that all my Emails are on a server somewhere else in the world, does this mean that my Yahoo Address book was compromised at Yahoo itself and there would have been nothing I could do about it.

It's possible your email address was picked up from some other website (where you are a member) or from a forwarded email (as described in a post above).

I understand that if I download any attachment that my Norton will scan it for virus content.

As I often see warnings not to open any emails from sources you don't know, is it possible to have your computer infected by just opening an email.

I have just received an Email from someone I have not heard from for years with just RE: in the subject line, I am reluctant to even open it, if there is a possibility it could contain a virus, even though it is from someone in my address book.

These are probably basic knowledge to someone computer literate, but for me now I'm worried about opening any Emails whether from those I know or not if in the subject line, the subject is vague

You should be able to open the email, particularly on Yahoo. Just don't open any attachments or click on any links unless you are sure they are OK.

If you do decide to download an attachment, when you get the option to "Open" or "Save", save it and then use Norton to scan the file.