From: Dr. H. Paul Shuch (n6tx_at_setileague.org)
Date: Sat Apr 10 2004 - 06:24:29 PDT
SETIzens,
I just received an email through one of The SETI League email lists,
which SAID it was from me. The text said "Please read the attached
file." The file in question was, of course, a virus.
For those of you who don't recognize this form of virus, the "from"
address is nearly always spoofed, to make the message appear to be
coming from someone you know. In this case, I of course did not send
the message, but my email address is public knowledge.
Of course, I would never post an attachment to any SETI League list,
nor should you. But a more general warning is: never open email
attachments unless the text tells you EXACTLY what they are, and they
are something you are expecting. Instead of "please read the attached
file," if I ever needed to send you an attachment, I would say in the
text something like "the attached .WAV file is of a signal I detected at
Argus station FN11lh on 2 April 2004." Spammers don't get that specific.
I would also ask each of you to be similarly specific if you ever need
to send me, or each other, an attachment of any sort. Lacking such
language, I will NOT open any attachments I receive in emails, and I
would encourage you to adopt a similar policy.
Yours for SETI success,
Paul
-- H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D. Executive Director, The SETI League, Inc. 433 Liberty Street, PO Box 555, Little Ferry NJ 07643 USA voice (201) 641-1770; fax (201) 641-1771; URL http://www.setileague.org email work: n6tx_at_setileague.org; home: drseti_at_cal.berkeley.edu "We Know We're Not Alone!"
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