Shannon sends this warning about a new virus (actually, it’s a variant of the Storm Worm; see my September 2007 post) using emailed e-card notifications instructing you to click on an enclosed URL link to retrieve the card, supposedly from a family member:
“A wave of malicious messages […] sent out in June 2007 employed that very technique, arriving in inboxes bearing subject lines such as ‘You’ve received a postcard from a family member!’ The messages contain URLs that recipients are supposed to visit to retrieve their e-cards, but those URLs actually point to servers hosting a variety of malware (including a variant of the Storm Trojan, “an aggressive piece of malware that has been hijacking computers to serve as attacker bots” since early 2007) that is furtively installed onto victims’ PCs. (Generally, only unpatched Windows-based systems are vulnerable.) […]” (Link)
The Storm Worm is proving to be a most difficult critter to eradicate. There are ways to protect yourself, though. The most obvious, of course, is not to follow the email’s URL links. Instead, go to the actual card site and enter the supposed URL link to retrieve your card. At worst, they’ll tell you there isn’t one. Follow the suggestions and links in my September post. And there’s more info (technical) on the McAfee site.