Virus Hoaxes

There are a lot of viruses out there. And then there are some viruses that aren't really out there at all. Hoax virus warning messages are more than mere annoyances. After repeatedly becoming alarmed, only to learn that there was no real virus, computer users may get into the habit of ignoring all virus warning messages, leaving them especially vulnerable to the next real, and truly destructive, virus.

Most legitimate virus warnings will come from ITS, virus-protection software companies such as Symantec/Norton, McAfee, or Sophos or, for the really destructive world-wide viruses, you will hear about them on the news. When you hear about a virus from any other source (especially when they stress the importance of passing the information along to all of your friends) it's a good idea to check out its authenticity.

You can check the list of virus hoaxes that is maintained on McAfee's web site.

Or you can search Symantec's virus database which will tell you if the warning you received is a hoax, or give you complete information about the virus if it is the real thing.  Simply type in some reference words to search for. Since most hoaxes concern email viruses, type in a few words that are supposed to appear in the subject or body of the infected email.

Of course, when in doubt, it never hurts to make sure your virus protection software is up-to-date!