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Technology
Info, Tips, FAQs Virus Information How to Help Stop the Spread of a Worm Virus
Over the past few years, more than one person has written and asked if it is possible to stop a worm virus from infecting her computer by adding a fake address into her address book. The response is that it couldn't hurt! Even if a virus can find a way around it, you haven't done anything to damage your computer. Worm viruses often spread by accessing your address book and mailing themselves out to your entire list, and it does this alphabetically, so if the first e-mail address it uses is undeliverable, the virus doesn't go any further. So what you do is create a fake address that's at the beginning of the alphabet. aaaaaaaaa@Fakeme.com might work, or if you want to be really sure, use zeroes: 00000@fakeme.com It might be a good idea to make sure that your "fake" address doesn't exist somewhere. Mail off a quick e-mail using that address and if it bounces back as undeliverable, you can use it. Now what happens, in theory, is that if you're infected, the virus doesn't go any further down the address book because it can't deliver to the first address. And more importantly, if you get a message saying your mail to aaaaaaaa@Fakeme.com is undeliverable, you'll know something's in your system because you didn't send a message to that address. Are there ways a new virus can get around this? Undoubtedly. But for older viruses that still make the rounds on-line, this should help prevent them from spreading. Every little bit helps. Of course, to keep up-to-date with the viruses out there it is always wise to make sure that your anti-virus software is current.
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