PPP
Design
Are You Connected?
Volume 6
What's New 
Virus Hoaxes!
Virus hoaxes aren't exactly new, they have been around for years. What is new is the prevalence of new and malicious hoaxes. If you have fallen prey to a virus hoax, don't feel bad, in most cases when you are dealing with a virus it is better to be safe than sorry.
The
new breed of virus hoaxes are more malicious than ever. Often these scams
will ask an unsuspecting e-mail recipient to delete or modify key but
little known system files. The most recent wide spread hoax is the Jdbgmgr.exe
or the teddy bear hoax. Usually an e-mail recipient will receive an e-mail
from a friend or other trusted source stating that they have received a
virus that cannot be detected by popular anti-virus software. Then they go
on to instruct the individual as to how to remove the virus.
In the case of the teddy bear virus, the e-mail recipient is instructed to remove the "Jdbgmgr.exe" file. DO NOT remove this file now. The Jdbgmgr.exe file is a standard windows component that is found in every windows installation, it is used as a Java debugger manager in Microsoft Java runtime engine.
Although it is possible for the file to be infected by a virus, it has also been the subject of a hoax.
Note: The W32/Magistr-A virus is known to infect the file JDBGMGR.EXE (this is unconnected with the hoax) so
most experts recommend users delete the file if they ever receive it as an email attachment.
If you have deleted jdbgmgr.exe, please see Microsoft knowledgebase article Q322993 for instructions how to restore your system:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322993
Virus hoaxes cost millions of dollars annually in time spent by countless people diverted from productive work, resources devoted to virus detection and defense, and bandwidth utilized flooding the Internet with useless and harmful email. The hot links this month are devoted to sites that provide information regarding virus's and virus hoaxes. Please bookmark a few of these sites as an easy reference if and when you receive a virus hoax. In addition, PPP Design will be adding information to our website regarding the most recent virus's and hoaxes. The information will be provided and updated on a live basis from Sophos. PPP Design Virus News
$ Marketing Your Site $
Website marketing doesn't have to be expensive. It can
be as easy and inexpensive as posting a sign near the register or over the
exit door of your business with your (URL) "www.yourbiz.com"
proudly displayed. Existing customers love the convenience of a website.
Screensavers with your URL displayed can be another effective way of
promoting your site to customers. Of course, your computers have to be
viewable by the general public for this to work.
I even saw a license plate with a URL the other day. Not the full
web address but enough that most people would figure it out.
All people have to do is see the URL and the odds that they will check out your site will increase. Don't make your customers read it in the small print.
