XRJDM@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV (Joe McMahon) (10/03/89)
<CTDONATH@SUNRISE.BITNET> asks: >I recently came across the nVIR B virus on a cluster of Macs. I removed >it using Disinfecant 1.5 and appears to be gone. > >What problems does nVIR B cause? Does it delete files, do annoying things, >or simply spread? Being a semi-public cluster, how much of a concern >is its presence? It does annoying things (beeps or says "Don't Panic"). Since it also grabs space in the system heap AND installs a VBL task, it can cause memory problems and timing problems, causing printing failures and crashes. Its presence is always a concern. Think of it as a public health problem. Your cluster, if left infected, would be a reservoir of infection and a potential source of spread, no matter how much time other clusters spent cleaning themselves up. Get Vaccine or GateKeeper installed on those Macs. Now. You must have either not had them installed, or someone has been turning them off. If you suspect that someone is deliberately infecting the cluster, you might want to set up a virus-scanning station that all disks must be passed through before they are used on your cluster. The Disinfectant documentation will tell you how to do this. --- Joe M.