Big new computer VIRUS

This isn't new, but it is real. If you go to the snopes site and scroll down a bit you'll see more information about the email text you've copied here.

*NOTE:* Readers should take particular care not to confuse the real
postcard/greeting card virus with a number of virus-related hoaxes that
have been circulating for several years. A variety of messages forwarded
by well-intended people to warn others about the Postcard virus
contribute to this confusion by including within them links to our
article </computer/virus/virtualcard.asp> about the "Virtual Card for
You" hoax (or by mistakenly incorporating elements from that hoax into
their warnings). Other versions of the postcard virus warning
erroneously combine it with elements of the Invitation <invitation.asp>
virus hoax.

(snopes has a sample of two emails, one is identical to the one above)

Although the Postcard virus is real, it isn't a "BIG VIRUS COMING" (it's
already been around in multiple forms for a long time now), it will not
"burn the whole hard disc" of your computer, CNN didn't classify it as
the "worst virus" ever, and it doesn't arrive in messages bearing a
subject line of 'Invitation.'

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*Smug Mac user looks smug*

By the way - Windows users, don't forget to install patches. Just go to the Microsoft website. Get yourself a good virus check program, too. There are free versions that are good ones - my techie husband has installed AVG free version on my computer.

If you want to know more, search the Tech Help forum - the search "anti-virus" brings up three pages of threads, so there's lots of info there.

JimmyB27 said:

*Smug Mac user looks smug*

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*patiently waits for the virus that will finally catch every smug Mac user offguard*

Oh, they are out there Shadow.

I think the first one hit the web about two years ago. "Leap" something.

Smug can be dangerous. Nature tends to not like smug.

*decides not to click on the link in case its a horrible joke that downloads the very virus we're discussing*

This is bad. It's even worse than the HIPPI virus that was going around. (I got that one on my home and work computers. Nasty stuff. You HAVE to format, you can't even run a virus scan/remover.

Shadow_Ferret said:

*patiently waits for the virus that will finally catch every smug Mac user offguard*

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I hate to say this. But I would laugh at them. smugly, of course.

Do your worst, slimeball doody-face punks.

JoeEkaitis said:

Do your worst, slimeball doody-face punks.

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Sorry...I'm just too lazy to take you up on that.

Melisande said:

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

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And then what? Wait for it to go away?

Willowmound said:

And then what? Wait for it to go away?

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I rarely do this, but it made me

Yeah, that's pretty funny

In all seriousness - e-cards from trusted sources tell you who sent it and link you to a real website. "You have a card from a friend" emails should just be deleted. NEVER open an attachment on emails like that.

I get those dumb things all the time "A friend" has sent you and e-greeting. Delete. Uh,I've gotten real ones from Hallmark.com and such, and the senders name is ALWAYS in the subject line. "So and So" has sent you a greeting card or whatever.

Long lecture short, Don't EVER click on one of these things, even if you KNOW the sender. You DON'T know your friend's computer isn't running a virus that sends these emails to everyone in their address book.

Be paranoid online. Be VERY Paranoid. Maybe you'll miss a few "neat e-cards" and other online fun (even if it appears to do only what it says it does, it may stealthily install something that blows up months later), but it will save you lots of time and trouble trying to get back whatever you put on your computer.

Williebee said:

Oh, they are out there Shadow.

I think the first one hit the web about two years ago. "Leap" something.

Smug can be dangerous. Nature tends to not like smug.

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The first virus I heard of for the Mac was circa late 1980's, it was the first CD compilation of freeware and shareware programs for the Mac, including a virus scanner - one of the other programs had a virus in it that was detectable by the virus scanner! I recall it was a relatively harmless virus that would just copy itself into the directories of all writable disks on the system. Or maybe that was another Mac virus.

The Mac is only moderately more secure than Windows - there's still enough holes in almost all modern computer operating systems to give Swiss cheese a run for its money.

There's also the "social engineering" side these things, of getting someone to run a program when they don't know what it will do, thus my admonitions.

Christine N. said:

I get those dumb things all the time "A friend" has sent you and e-greeting. Delete. Uh,I've gotten real ones from Hallmark.com and such, and the senders name is ALWAYS in the subject line. "So and So" has sent you a greeting card or whatever.

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A friend's computer could get a virus that pull the sender name as well as the email address out of the email program's info/configuration files, and send itself with the name in the subject. I regard all such "greetings" emails as spam, and don't click on them - at least not on any computer I own...

I do have an older computer running the latest Ubuntu Linux, I might go to such a link with that. I've only done a little surfing with it, and worst case I can always reformat the drive and reload the OS from CD.

Sheesh. Just don't fsck with cr@p from anonymous sources. And keep your bloddy antivirus updated and active. And don't leave your e-mail address posted openly all over the web.

And DON'T FORWARD SCARE MESSAGES.

Thank you .

JimmyB27 said:

*Smug Mac user looks smug*

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I'll bet you can't wait for their newest product to come out, the Apple iSmug.

And now, to prove I am not the regular evangelical Mac user -

benbradley said:

The Mac is only moderately more secure than Windows - there's still enough holes in almost all modern computer operating systems to give Swiss cheese a run for its money.

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I'm not sure the Mac is actually any more secure at all. The reason less viruses hit Mac is simply that fewer people own one, so the virus writers don't bother with them.
Also, I read not long ago that Microsoft actually responds quicker and better than Apple to patch security holes in its operating system.