Microsoft updates updates and patches

[Mr John]

Is anyone else receiving alleged updates and patches supposedly from Microsoft ?
I have received THIRTEEN today alone and also five of the (is it Sven or Swen) worm virus's.
The updates look official Microsoft.

Beware !

[meeja]

Recieving through email, or with Microsoft windows update?

Just a bit worried, as I usually run windows update every couple of days (just to be safe!)

[Mr John]

Through E mail.

[meeja]

Ah... I see....I'd be a bit suspect of stuff like that.... don't know for certain, but would imagine that Micro$oft wouldn't email stuff like that out... they would put info on the Microsoft homepage, as they are so arrogant at times, they would expect everyone to visit thier webpage everytime they surf the net!!

Seriously though, I wouldn't trust anything sent through email without being absolutely 110% certain you know what it is.

It is far too easy for these idiots to spoof the sender's email address to make it look like it came from someone else.

Will it help if you view all the email headers to see if they actually did come from microsoft?

[sjg]

Microsoft never send out patches via email, and security bulletins are always digitally signed.

[Mr John]

All the E mail are from :

Microsoft security update
Microsoft network
Microsoft security patch
Microsoft (you get the picture)
MS security etc
With a few Joebloggs@securityupdate / patch etc

[ATG]

The attachments to those e-mails are viruses. Story on BBC website

[trooper1212]

Never run an attachment sent to you via email!

As has been said, this is a virus that is doing the rounds, I'm getting about 30 emails an hour at the moment, each one is 104kb in size

[haggishead]

We received loads of these at work yesterday - I checked through McAfee, Sophos, Norton websites, the virus was only recognised on Wednesday and some of the AV providers had only brought out the necessary definition files on Friday... so unless your AV programme is dead up-to-date it won't recognise the virus.

The virus is called Swen, alias worm.autobat.abh, and is a swine to remove... so be careful chappies!