Just to give you guys a heads-up

[Foxhound]

There's a REALLY destructive virus going about the tubes, and I figure I should post this here:

Thought I would pass this one on to everyone.

:This one is for real - do not open any emails about receiving
postcards or greetings from a friend etc. Just delete the whole email.

My inbox has been inundated with emails saying a friend, neighbor, classmate, admirer has sent a greeting, postcard, card etc. from Bluemountain, Postcard. com etc, etc, etc.

Guy's this is quite real.. so please be careful

I verified real at
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

WORST VIRUS EVER --- CNN ANNOUNCED

PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST!!

A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive ever.

This virus was discovered yesterday afternoon by McAfee. This virus simply destroys Sector Zero from the hard disk, where vital information for its functioning are stored.

This virus acts in the following manner:
It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list with the title: "A Card for You".

As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened the computer freezes so that the user has to reboot. When the ctrl+alt+del keys or the reset button are pressed, the virus destroys Sector Zero, thus permanently destroying the hard disk.

Yesterday in just a few hours this virus caused panic in New York, according to news broadcast by CNN.

This alert was received by an employee of Microsoft.

So don't open any mails with subject: "A Virtual Card for You." As soon as you get the mail, delete it! Even if you know the sender !!!

Please pass this mail to all of your friends.

CUT AND PASTE this to everyone in your address book. I'm sure most people, like myself, would rather receive this notice 25 times than not at all.

The snopes link also lists variations on it. Please tell EVERYONE YOU CAN about it.

[Dr. Dos]

The funny thing is even when confirmed by snopes it still sounds like a stupid fake chainletter going around.

[Dr. Doog]

that's because chain letters are a dragon conspiracy to keep people from recognizing the real deal.

that ghost really did kill me and my mother at 3:24

[Sage]

the tubes

The internet is going to be delayed.

[Tai]

except snopes classified it as a hoax :v

note the small difference between
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/virtualcard.asp

the real one is just a garden-variety trojan

[TyVulpine]

I keep getting those, but already delete them anyway.

[Softpaw]

Heh, I was just about to post the link that Taikamiya did. This is a real hoax that's trying to make itself look more real, as stated by http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/virtualcard.asp.

For future reference, there are several key elements that can be used to identify any virus hoax. My dad taught me these in 1998, and they still hold true. All of these elements are usually present in any hoax, and are never present in a genuine virus warning.

1. Mention of Microsoft or another non-virus-protection company making a classification.
Simply put, companies that don't make virus protection software don't make virus announcements of any kind, except in rare cases when a security exploit is involved. If the message mentions Microsoft, AOL, or any other large company that doesn't work with viruses, it's most likely a fake.

2. Mention of permanent damage, particularly through some simple-sounding process.
This is always a common theme in virus hoaxes, and a difficult thing for many non-computer-savvy users to grasp. Causing permanent, irrepairable damage to a computer is not an easy thing to do, and the methods for doing it are extremely few in number, and vary widely between hardware configurations. Any virus capable of causing damage of this magnitude would happen on such a small scale that it would never make the news.

3. Dire warning to send this message to everyone you know.
This is a key component of virus hoaxes, and the one thing that keeps them alive at all. Any message that eagerly wants you to send it to everyone you know probably should not be forwarded to anyone, except someone you trust (ie, network administrator) to verify its contents.

[TyVulpine]

The only e-card site I trust is http://www.OOFun.com...

[Doc Sigma]

WORST VIRUS EVER --- CNN ANNOUNCED

...makes about as much sense as, say, "WORST TELEVISION SHOW EVER --- MCDONALD'S ANNOUNCED"

[baloki]

THE TUBES, THEY DO NOTHING!

[Miles E Traysandor]

About the only way to permanently cause irreparable damage to a hard drive would be to do one of the following:

A. Physically destroy the device by repeadetly hitting it with a sledgehammer or other equivalent blunt instrument and/or something equivalent of dealing a heavy blow [like running it over with a vehicle or dropping it off a building].

B. Stick it in the microwave and nuke the thing.

C. Stick a magnet on the hard drive. Preferably the biggest one you can buy. This will make the contents of the hard drive at the very least unreadable.

[Tai]

About the only way to permanently cause irreparable damage to a hard drive would be to do one of the following:

A. Physically destroy the device by repeadetly hitting it with a sledgehammer or other equivalent blunt instrument and/or something equivalent of dealing a heavy blow [like running it over with a vehicle or dropping it off a building].

B. Stick it in the microwave and nuke the thing.

C. Stick a magnet on the hard drive. Preferably the biggest one you can buy. This will make the contents of the hard drive at the very least unreadable.

You'd have to be pretty dedicated; electron microscopy can put together degaussed (i.e. magnetically owned), burnt, acid-devoured disks if you don't mangle the disk very VERY thoroughly, much like people can piece together shredded paper. Except on an atomic level.

Seems a bit painstaking to me but hey if you really want that incriminating evidence and money's no object

[baloki]

Or you know, you could force it to do a bajillion write operations (or even make it write past the physical end of the disk) to break it, but that takes dedication, dedication I just don't have anymore

[Miles E Traysandor]

About the only way to permanently cause irreparable damage to a hard drive would be to do one of the following:

A. Physically destroy the device by repeadetly hitting it with a sledgehammer or other equivalent blunt instrument and/or something equivalent of dealing a heavy blow [like running it over with a vehicle or dropping it off a building].

B. Stick it in the microwave and nuke the thing.

C. Stick a magnet on the hard drive. Preferably the biggest one you can buy. This will make the contents of the hard drive at the very least unreadable.

You'd have to be pretty dedicated; electron microscopy can put together degaussed (i.e. magnetically owned), burnt, acid-devoured disks if you don't mangle the disk very VERY thoroughly, much like people can piece together shredded paper. Except on an atomic level.

Seems a bit painstaking to me but hey if you really want that incriminating evidence and money's no object

I also forgot to mention that you can also give the hard drive a proper cremation and then dump the ashes in a local river. I'd like to see the forensics team put back together that one.

[baloki]

You could also build it up a buttercup, and then always let it down? And mess it around.