Every couple of weeks, millions of web users go through a perverse ritual of forwarding "virus warnings" they have received to everyone on their mailing lists.
What most of the participants in this activity don't realize, is that many of these warnings are nothing more than hoaxes.
Why are there virus hoaxes circulating the Net? I can only imagine teenagers giggling in delight as they watch their "warnings" cross the globe in a day.
While a harmless prank, it does result in an incredible waste of time and resources.
Some of the latest viruses I've been warned about include: Bud Screen Saver, Good Times and Win a Holiday. These are all hoaxes.
The next time you receive a "warning" about some new computer-decimating virus, you might want to visit the Department of Energy’s web site at: www.hoaxbusters.ciac.org to see if it’s a hoax or not, before forwarding the message to your entire address book.
You can also verify the legitimacy of actual virus threats through most of the major virus software vendors websites, and they usually list hoaxes as well. A few good sites to learn more about real viruses as well as hoaxes are:
--
Copyrighted with all rights reserved by Stephen M. Canale