Avoid Viruses and Worms – Especially During Valentine

Helsinki, Finland - February 14, 2003

F-Secure, one of the world's leading antivirus software companies, is warning computer users against possible viruses and worms that may lodge in "Happy Valentine's Day" messages. The best way to avoid such malware is to refrain from opening messages from unknown persons. The best protection is an up-to-date antivirus program and a personal firewall to detect malware and stop hacking.

However, to protect yourself against dangers from viruses, worms and hacking attempts, there are a few additional tips and tricks that may save your computer from damage or from being taken over by hackers.

Most viruses and worms that spread through e-mail use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express to spread. If you need to use Outlook, download and install the latest Outlook security patches from Microsoft. In general, keep your operating system and applications up-to-date and apply the latest patches when they become available. Be sure to get the updates directly from the vendor.

Configure your Windows system to always show file extensions. In Windows 2000, this is done through Explorer via the Tools menu: Tools/Folder Options/View - and uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types". This makes it more difficult to for harmful files (such as an EXE or VBS) to masquerade as harmless files (such as TXT or JPG).

Never open e-mail attachments with the file extensions VBS, SHS or PIF. These extensions are almost never used in normal attachments but they are frequently used by viruses and worms. Also never open attachments with double file extensions such as NAME.BMP.EXE or NAME.TXT.VBS

If you feel that an e-mail you get from a friend is somehow strange - if it is in a foreign language or if it just says odd things, double-check with the friend before opening any attachments.

Never accept attachments from strangers in online chat systems such as IRC, ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger. Furthermore, avoid downloading files from public newsgroups (Usenet news). These are often used by virus writers to distribute their new viruses.

For more information on viruses and worms, see http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/.

An example of a current malicious Valentine-themed e-mail threat is described in detail at: http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/adwdrop.shtml

About F-Secure Corporation

F-Secure Corporation is the leading provider of centrally managed security solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company's award-winning products include antivirus, file encryption and network security solutions for major platforms from desktops to servers and from laptops to handhelds. Founded in 1988, F-Secure has been listed on the Helsinki Exchanges since November 1999. The company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, with the North American headquarters in San Jose, California, as well as offices in Germany, Sweden, Japan and the United Kingdom and regional offices in the USA. F-Secure is supported by a network of value added resellers and distributors in over 90 countries around the globe. Through licensing and distribution agreements, the company’s security applications are available for the products of the leading handheld equipment manufacturers, such as Nokia and HP.

More more information, please contact:

Jaana Sirkia, Communications Manager
F-Secure Corporation
Tel. +358 9 2520 5290
Fax +358 9 2520 5017
Mobile +358 400 303 096
Email: Jaana.Sirkia@F-Secure.com