[Ti] [OT] Mail.app spam definitions

[Michael Bigley]

>I didn't EVER get spam (maybe one or two a fortnight) and now I am 
>getting spammed (through my  mailserver I fear)   to the tune of 
>40-50 sobig attachments per day (I've already contacted the server 
>sysadmin ).

the problem with this virus -- and why it is so pervasive -- is that 
it does not simply read the "infectee's" address book and send the 
virus out, it puts the address book members into the "from" of each 
message. IOW, if someone has 100 names in their address book and you 
are one of them, SoBig can send you 100 copies of itself, all 
appearing to be from different addresses. It re-initiates itself 
every Friday and Sunday until Sept 10 (the day before 9/11 
anniversary).

Even as Mac users we can be blamed for spreading the virus just 
because we are in a Windoze user's address book. I have received a 
couple of such messages telling me to scan my machine.

Sadly, anyone who still hasn't protected themselves by now, with the 
myriad of information that has been presented about this virus, 
probably won't or can't. So this problem will be persistent for the 
next few weeks.

Compounding the issue,  the virus is coming from legitimate addresses 
that seldom repeat, so filtering is difficult even at the server 
level. Choices are to write a script to delete .pif and .scr 
attachments, or filter at the subject line some very common subjects, 
both of which will, by their nature, destroy legitimate mail as well.

While us Mac users are not directly affected by this virus, it gets 
aggravation points at least.
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Mike Bigley                Maineville, Ohio
       http://www.norbertrunning.com
Please support an American Indian Elder &
Medicine Man by visiting the above link.
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