DHAHRAN, 24 June — A recent virus hoax forced many Internet users to destroy their important file SULFNBK.EXE, which was part of the operating system included in the Windows system. Warnings about the pseudo-virus was circulating for many days causing a real scare amongst users. The message concerning the “virus,” indicated it contains a SULFNBK.EXE file that is programmed to activate the destructive payload on June 1. As is typical when a virus hoax is making the rounds, it is reported that not one antivirus program is able to detect this “virus”; the only means of ridding a computer of this threat is to erase the SULFNBK.EXE virus-carrying file.
Very promptly the scared users, who were not well-versed with the technicalities of the Internet, erased one of the important files. June 1 came and passed and nothing happened, as there was no such virus.
Contrary to the alert, the SULFNBK.EXE file was proved to be absolutely safe. The program is a Windows application used for backup files with long file names. By deleting this file, users caused a change in the system function as a whole, causing several operations on the computer to be rendered inoperable.
In addition to this, as reported by SecurityPortal.com, its experts have been able to receive the original SULFNBK.EXE file and establish the reason for this hoax appearance. It turned out that this file on the user’s computer, who initiated the hoax, was really infected with the Magistr virus, currently found in the virus list of the most widespread viruses.
This was not the first time that such false alert about a non-existing virus went around for so many days. There was hardly any day when in mailbox there were not a dozen warning alerts from friends and foes. Even during chat, each participant was warning the other about the new virus. The intentions of all these “benefactors” were honest and by no mean malicious. However, there is no doubt that the originator of this hoax had malicious intentions. Considering the hoax as a whole, a virus hoax is as dangerous as a real virus. The end result of both is destruction and corruption of files and programs. Most users cannot differentiate between a hoax alert and a real alert. If he takes a real alert as hoax he loses and if he believes in a hoax alert the result is the same. He is a loser either way.
Computer hoaxes are message alerts warning users about new unknown viruses or Trojan programs. These messages “inform” users that there is a new type of virus spreading through the Internet channels or e-mail and destroying information on affected computers.
These messages are deliberately false and started by people with malicious intentions. The duped users then pass these messages to other people thinking they are helping them to protect themselves against a new danger. Many such hoaxes are widespread and have been named. The names of the most well-known computer hoaxes as quoted in viruslist.com are: AOL4FREE.COM, Good times, National Bank Chain, Bud Frogs warning, Hackingburgh, NaughtyRobot, Buddlylst, Hacky B-day, Penpal Greetings, Cancer chain, Irina, Sandman homepage warning, Deeyenda Maddick, Join the Club, WIN A HOLIDAY, Disneyworld, Join the Crew, Get more money and Londhouse. Needless to say that by the time this goes in print a dozen more hoax viruses will take birth and this is an ongoing process which can never end.
Computer experts say that usually, these messages are sent to Internet conferences or directly to many e-mail addresses. The message usually has a sentence saying that it is necessary to pass the message on to as many people as possible in order to inform them of the “impending danger.” Experts suggest users to never pass along such messages to another user! By doing so, you are simply causing unnecessary virus-hysteria on the Internet and annoying people. One should delete such messages and forget about them.
If the user is not sure that a message is a hoax, he should visit antivirus developer websites. Usually, such breaking news is immediately announced on these sites. Computer experts also recommended to visit web pages specializing in virus hoax information.
The fact remains that a common user is not particular about such things and take warnings on its face value and trust the intentions of those sending him warnings. Theoretically the recommendations of the experts is foolproof and could avert unnecessary deletion of files; in practice, a user tends to forget or ignore such warnings. What experts tend to forget that all the computer and Internet users are not computer professionals. When an expert speaks to a computer user he takes it for granted that the user is yet another computer professional. The expert uses language totally incomprehensible to the average user. To a majority of computer users, a computer is just a means to an end, usually their professional ambitions. For computer experts it is just an end in itself. A line has to be drawn somewhere in between. If hundreds of antivirus programs could be written then why couldn’t an antivirus hoax program be written?