When Is a Virus NOT a Virus?

I feel the need to set the record straight and educate all on the big misnomer that is repeated on social networking sites and elsewhere.

Yesterday I was invited to the customers because they allegedly "virus". Your contact list was getting Viagra spam e-mails sent from their accounts without the items in the header. Of course, as a tech professional, my first instinct was the client is one of the new botnets. However, after arriving at the clients and the investigating further, the truth of the matter to their Yahoo e-mail hacked and there is a spammer sends e-mails spam, Viagra without a subject in the subject e-mail.

many times, people have sent this e-mail client said the virus because of it.

In addition, I saw it on Twitter - "New virus hits Twitter sending links ..." And Facebook ", a new Facebook virus attacks - Do not click the link." This is just a sampling of the many other examples can be used.

So, let's get this resolved now.

the official definition of a virus, "or a parasitic program written code (usually intentional, but sometimes by accident) to enter a computer without the user's knowledge or permission ."

a real virus still need human intervention to become active. That's what makes it different from a worm that can move on its own from the network.

This means that a person or a computer user must click a link, open a document or e-mail, or take some other action on his turn. If human engagement does not take place, it is not a virus -. It was something else

In a situation where my clients e-mail is to send Viagra spam, everyone assumed that the virus because they know the client would not send this type of e-mail. No, says security researcher with the virus creates a panic that can be avoided and should not result in cleaning up the real problem.

So, how do I know e-mail account was hacked and it's not a virus? The answer is so simple it will surprise you!

all sent mail is deleted and there is no indication from Trend Micro (which all my clients use) that the virus was present, nor on the network when the computer is idle.

See, in real botnet sending spam or other worm or virus, the network will be actively lights flashing, because the malware to send spam even if the user was not in e-mail or use a computer! As this was happening, I immediately went to confirm the trend that is not picked up such activities -. What is

When I logged into the client's account e-mail, I immediately noticed that all of his sent mail was deleted. This customer happens to be such a novice that does not even know how to empty! However, I ask him if he is to erase any way, and he did not.

This a hacker happened to be smart enough to erase his / her songs, which also seems to be the client that the virus instead of the hack.

see if the e-mail users may believe that the virus, and waste your time looking for a virus that does not, hackers can continue to send spam because the user would never have occurred to change my password!

The same is true with the alleged viruses circulating on Twitter and Facebook. 99% of the time, it is not a virus!

What really happened is that some users fall for social engineering technique in which they were sent here and they have been duped into clicking it. At this point, several things could happen.

They were asked to sign in using their Facebook or Twitter account information.
are some applications for authorized access to your Twitter or Facebook account information.

In both of these situations, the information for registration or approval is what allowed access to their account for malicious content provider, which then allowed the person that has access to his followers and friends.

This type of action - although it is human interaction - not a virus or. It is considered a technical account hack or hijack the user is actually authorized to yourself unconsciously.

So, when the virus is a virus?

answer. When he hacked or stolen e-mail or social networking account