Klarinet Archive - Posting 000556.txt from 1998/01

From: Detlef Kretschmer <detlef@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: Word Attachments--Watch out for Macro Viruses!!!!!!
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 13:01:18 -0500

>I believe too that you cannot get viruses by reading e-mail, but the
>warning was about a Word MACRO-VIRUS. There is such a thing- a macro is
>sort of a program that is attached to a Word document and runs itself when
>the document is opened. There do exist Word macro viruses that can infect
>a system.
>
>Fred (fsheim@-----.com)
>
>
>At 06:13 PM 1/10/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>On Sat, 10 Jan 1998, Benjamin A. Maas wrote:
>>
>>> I think I got it off of a internet news-group, but I don't know. I
>>> STRONGLY urge everybody to check out their computers to make sure these
>>> word documents aren't infected.
>>
>>This will probably start another one of those never-ending bogus warning
>>about viruses. Every day when I log on to my e-mail system, I read a
>>statement placed there by the system administrator: "You cannot get a
>>virus by merely reading e-mail." Still, people receive "warnings" about
>>the "good times virus" and others, and newbies still feel obligated to
>>forward such warnings to everyone in the world.
>>
>>I don't doubt that Mr. Maas' computer was infected by a virus, but I still
>>feel quite confident that it did not come from e-mail. I don't know
>>enough about computers myself to know why experts say that viruses cannot
>>come through reading e-mail, but all that I have ever heard of do say
>>that.
>>
>>Ed Lacy

This is a new type of virus which came into existence with Word 6. It is
harmless until you open Word 6.
Using Word 5 or less is no problem. This type of virus is actually the only
non-system file which can affect a Mac.
It can be transmitted via e-mail in the form of an attachment only.

Reading your e-mail is safe, using attachments with Word 6 is not, but who
would want to use Word 6 anyway :-)

Detlef Kretschmer
Dipl. Ing., DSc., Prof.
Dept. Mechanical Engineering
Laval University
Quebec, QC, Canada G1K 7P4

Voice (418) 656-5409
Fax (418) 656-7415