Do not open any message with an attachment called: Black in the White House
Forwarded email warns of ‘the most destructive ever’ computer virus circulating as an attachment to messages entitled ‘Black in the White House.’
Description: Virus hoax
Circulating since: Dec. 2009
Status: False
Email example contributed by Kenneth D., Jan. 5, 2010:
Subject: FW: URGENT!
PLEASE CIRCULATE to your friends, family and contacts.
In the coming days, Do not open any message with an attachment called: Black in the White House,
Regardless of who sent you … It is a virus that opens an Olympic torch that burns the whole hard disk C of your computer. This virus comes from a known person who you had in your list Directions. . That’s why you should send this message to all your contacts.
It is better to receive this email 25 times to receive the virus and open .. If you receive a message called: black in the white house, even sent by a friend, do not open and shut down your machine immediately. It is the worst virus announced by CNN. A new virus has been discovered recently it has been classified by Microsoft as the virus most destructive ever. This virus was discovered yesterday afternoon by Mc Afee. And there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the hard disk, where information vital function is stored.
Analysis: False. No such computer virus exists. This is a variant of a virus hoax that has circulated in many forms for the past decade. Previous versions include:
• ‘A Virtual Card for You’ Virus
• ‘Invitation’ Virus
• ‘Merry Christmas’ Virus
• ‘Hallmark Postcard’ Virus
Generally speaking, following the advice of forwarded emails is an ineffective way of maintaining your Internet security. Protecting yourself from real virus and Trojan threats entails a few simple but critical measures. Follow them religiously:
- Always be very careful concerning which attachments you open and which files you download. If you can’t be reasonably sure they are safe, don’t open or download them.
- Maintain up-to-date antivirus software on your computer, configure it to detect trojan horses and other malware automatically, and scan for viruses and other threats regularly.
- Always be careful concerning which links you choose to click, especially in messages from anonymous or unfamiliar sources. Clicking on these links can instantly download malicious software onto your computer. Again, if you can’t be reasonably sure a link is safe, don’t click on it.