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Optimum Online Virus Alert
VIRUS ALERT. YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED.
Dear Optimum Online Subscriber:
RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MY ISP!
Optimum Online customers, like many other ISPs and indeed the entire Internet, may have become infected by the NIMDA virus.
It is possible that this virus has infected the PC's of Optimum Online's subscribers using any Microsoft Windows operating system, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium (ME), Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Infected PC's may continue to flood the Internet and Optimum Online's network with virus generated messages (even without your being aware of it).
Optimum Online is working to alert all of its subscribers to this problem
and to instruct them on where to find and install the patch necessary to
eliminate the virus. In the meantime, Optimum Online subscribers may
experience slow network response, flashing connectivity lights on the
cable modem, and other symptoms (such as unusual port scan log activity
or increased firewall activity) while Optimum Online and the Internet
community work to control the impact of this virus.
The NIMDA virus may affect machines that are running Internet Explorer, as it takes advantage of a security vulnerability present in some versions of the browser. The virus spreads by taking advantage of this security hole through the email program, which allows an attachment, "readme.exe", "readme.eml" or any attachment which may start "readme" to be executed by just clicking on the email.
The NIMDA virus also takes advantage of a "back door" that may have been left behind by the Code Red II virus.
IF YOUR PC IS RUNNING WINDOWS 2000 OR WINDOWS NT AND IIS WEB SERVER, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY DOWNLOAD THE FREE CODE RED PATCH FROM MICROSOFT'S WEBSITE (www.microsoft.com/security) AND RESTART YOUR PC.
Machines running Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 2 , Internet Explorer 5..5 Service Pack 2 or Internet Explorer 6 are not vulnerable to this security exploit.
Information on a free patch for Internet Explorer can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms00-078.asp
Subscribers visiting websites which have been infected by the NIMDA virus may be prompted to download a .eml email file, which contains the worm as an attachment. Subscribers can disable FILE DOWNLOAD in their internet security zone to prevent compromise.
Please insure that you have the latest anti-virus updates on your machine.
To make sure you are running the latest anti-virus definitions please contact your anti-virus provider.
If you feel your computer has been infected with this virus, please contact your Anti-Virus manufacturer as soon as possible.
Norton Anti-Virus : http://www.symantec.com/
McAfee Anti-Virus: http://www.mcafee.com/
For more information on the NIMDA virus, please refer to
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?/url=technet/security/topics/Nimda.asp
and
and
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2001-26.html
We ask for your patience while Optimum Online continues to work with the
Internet community to address this virus.
Thank you.
Optimum Online
P.S. Please, do not reply to this message.
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