Introduction to Virus Hoaxes
Some people think it is funny to waste others' time and money by creating virus hoaxes. These are emails that appear to be legitimate virus alerts. People send them on to their friends, and thus virus hoaxes traverse the Internet at a rapid rate, just like real viruses.
How to recognise virus hoaxes
Being discerning is the key to successfully recognising virus hoaxes. It is just like discerning genuine currency from counterfeit: the important thing to ask yourself is, "What does the genuine article look like?" Here is a brief comparison between virus hoaxes and genuine virus alerts:
| Virus Hoaxes | Genuine Virus Alerts |
|---|---|
| ... ask you to pass on the alert as you received it. This is the number one distinguishing characteristic of Internet hoaxes. | ... ask you to see another, authoritative source for information. |
| ... come from a friend. | ... come from a virus software vendor's mailing list or some other recognised computing authority. |
| ... were originally anonymous. | ... include an email address or a URL pointing to their web site that allows you to find more information. |
| ... state the threat in alarmist, exaggerated terms (e.g. "This virus will destroy sector zero on your hard drive!") | ... state the threat in realistic, measured terms. |
| ... may state that there is no known cure for the virus. | ... provide instructions for removing the virus. All known viruses can be detected and removed. (This is never likely to change.) |
| ... often claim to originate from well-known computer companies of which many householders have heard, such as Microsoft and IBM. | ... originate from lesser-known companies that specialise in virus detection and removal, such as Symantec (Norton), Network Associates (McAfee), Sophos, etc., or independent computer security researchers. |
| A real example... | A real example... |
Not all of these observations will apply to every hoax, but most have several of these characteristics. Every virus hoax will show at least one of them (especially the first). Many of these characteristics can also be extrapolated to non-virus-related hoaxes (e.g. common urban myths).
What to do about virus hoaxes
Here are some suggestions for what to do when you receive a virus alert:
- Firstly, and most importantly, DO NOT SEND IT ON WITHOUT CAREFULLY INVESTIGATING. If you received it from anyone other than your virus software vendor, more than likely it is a hoax.
- Look for the telltale signs of virus hoaxes (see above). If you find them, you're 90% sure it's a hoax already.
- Do 5 minutes of research to make sure that you're right. Start with the links listed below. DO NOT start with the person who sent it to you - they obviously think it's genuine, otherwise they would not have sent it to you.
- Send a polite note back to your friend asking them to read some reputable site(s) regarding the virus hoax, such as the links below.
- Don't think, "It's better to be safe than sorry", and send it on to your other friends anyway. Instead think, "If it really were a serious problem, all my friends would likely have heard about it already."
- Subscribe to your virus software vendor's virus alert mailing list, so that you'll learn to recognise genuine alerts.
- Delete the email and try to do something actually useful with your computer (hard, i know :-).
More general hoax sites
Snopes and Hoax Slayer are good general hoax resources.
Importantly, if you subscribe to their mailing lists (which i DO NOT suggest), then please DO NOT pass on their warnings about current hoaxes. This is just as bad and wasteful as passing on hoaxes! If you want your friends to be informed about hoaxes, just send them (ONCE ONLY) the details of subscribing to the newsletter themselves.