Re: Virus checker

[Peter Hinchliffe]

> On 26 Sep 2015, at 6:52 am, Michael Hawkins 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm checking emails by using iPhone and latest version of ios8. Have received 
> an email supposedly from a person in my contact list, but obviously not from 
> him. He has run a scan on his computer but found nothing amiss. Is there a 
> program I can use to check my iPhone and my MacBook to see if they are 
> affected? Westnet is my ISP, Telstra my phone service.
> 
> Haven't checked emails on MacBook yet, nor have I checked webmail (deleting 
> from one device doesn't prevent email being received on the other).
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Michael Hawkins

The email has probably come from a third party, who just happens to have both 
of your details in their contact list through one means or another. This is not 
to say even that this third party is acting maliciously, but they are probably 
the ones who have the malware. Given the nature of the way this stuff works 
these days, that third party needn’t even be someone either of you know.

The one thing you CAN be sure of is that the problem dies not exist on either 
your iPhone or your MacBook. While there is a small amount of malware now 
creeping into Mac OS X, none of it has been characterised with this behaviour, 
which is clearly come from a virus infection on the third party’s computer. 
There are no viruses yet reported on either Mac OS X or iOS (malware yes; 
viruses no). There are plenty of companies out there who will happily take you 
money on the promise to do what you describe, but you’d be just wasting it.


Peter HinchliffeApwin Computer Services
FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer
Perth, Western Australia
Phone (618) 9332 6482Mob 0403 046 948

Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to.

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Re: Virus checker

[Peter Hinchliffe]

> On 28 Sep 2015, at 9:51 am, Michael Hawkins 
>  wrote:
> 
> Thank you Peter,
> 
> As a reflex reaction I automatically immediately delete any that has the 
> letters php in it. I don't know why, but it feels safer to do so.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Michael Hawkins
> 
> 

Well, if it feels good…

php is simply a scripting technology which sites behind pretty much every 
website you see these days. It’s a good idea to be cautious of any link or 
download that you’re not sure of in an email, but there’s nothing inherently 
dangerous about php. The three letters you DO need to be cautious of are exe, 
which denotes a Windows-executable file. If you see this at the end of any file 
name, the file they belong to with will almost always contain a (Windows-based) 
virus. Although they cannot themselves do anything in Mac OS X, it can cause 
problems for a Windows-based recipient of you forward such an email to them. 

Peter HinchliffeApwin Computer Services
FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer
Perth, Western Australia
Phone (618) 9332 6482Mob 0403 046 948

Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to.

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Re: Virus checker

[Michael Hawkins]

Thank you Peter,

As a reflex reaction I automatically immediately delete any that has the 
letters php in it. I don't know why, but it feels safer to do so.

Cheers,

Michael Hawkins

Sent from my iPhone

> On 28 Sep 2015, at 10:41 am, Peter Hinchliffe  
> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On 26 Sep 2015, at 6:52 am, Michael Hawkins 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Hello,
>> 
>> I'm checking emails by using iPhone and latest version of ios8. Have 
>> received an email supposedly from a person in my contact list, but obviously 
>> not from him. He has run a scan on his computer but found nothing amiss. Is 
>> there a program I can use to check my iPhone and my MacBook to see if they 
>> are affected? Westnet is my ISP, Telstra my phone service.
>> 
>> Haven't checked emails on MacBook yet, nor have I checked webmail (deleting 
>> from one device doesn't prevent email being received on the other).
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Michael Hawkins
> 
> The email has probably come from a third party, who just happens to have both 
> of your details in their contact list through one means or another. This is 
> not to say even that this third party is acting maliciously, but they are 
> probably the ones who have the malware. Given the nature of the way this 
> stuff works these days, that third party needn’t even be someone either of 
> you know.
> 
> The one thing you CAN be sure of is that the problem dies not exist on either 
> your iPhone or your MacBook. While there is a small amount of malware now 
> creeping into Mac OS X, none of it has been characterised with this 
> behaviour, which is clearly come from a virus infection on the third party’s 
> computer. There are no viruses yet reported on either Mac OS X or iOS 
> (malware yes; viruses no). There are plenty of companies out there who will 
> happily take you money on the promise to do what you describe, but you’d be 
> just wasting it.
> 
> 
> Peter HinchliffeApwin Computer Services
> FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer
> Perth, Western Australia
> Phone (618) 9332 6482Mob 0403 046 948
> 
> Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to.
> 
> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
> Archives - 
> Guidelines - 
> Settings & Unsubscribe - 
> 
-- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
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Re: Virus checker

[Michael Hawkins]

Thank you Peter, I'll make sure any exe exist my phone and laptop!

Sent from my iPhone

> On 28 Sep 2015, at 11:25 am, Peter Hinchliffe  
> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On 28 Sep 2015, at 9:51 am, Michael Hawkins 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Thank you Peter,
>> 
>> As a reflex reaction I automatically immediately delete any that has the 
>> letters php in it. I don't know why, but it feels safer to do so.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> 
>> Michael Hawkins
> 
> Well, if it feels good…
> 
> php is simply a scripting technology which sites behind pretty much every 
> website you see these days. It’s a good idea to be cautious of any link or 
> download that you’re not sure of in an email, but there’s nothing inherently 
> dangerous about php. The three letters you DO need to be cautious of are exe, 
> which denotes a Windows-executable file. If you see this at the end of any 
> file name, the file they belong to with will almost always contain a 
> (Windows-based) virus. Although they cannot themselves do anything in Mac OS 
> X, it can cause problems for a Windows-based recipient of you forward such an 
> email to them. 
> 
> Peter HinchliffeApwin Computer Services
> FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer
> Perth, Western Australia
> Phone (618) 9332 6482Mob 0403 046 948
> 
> Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to.
> 
> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
> Archives - 
> Guidelines - 
> Settings & Unsubscribe - 
> 
-- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
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Settings & Unsubscribe - 

Virus checker

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello,

I'm checking emails by using iPhone and latest version of ios8. Have received 
an email supposedly from a person in my contact list, but obviously not from 
him. He has run a scan on his computer but found nothing amiss. Is there a 
program I can use to check my iPhone and my MacBook to see if they are 
affected? Westnet is my ISP, Telstra my phone service.

Haven't checked emails on MacBook yet, nor have I checked webmail (deleting 
from one device doesn't prevent email being received on the other).

Regards,

Michael Hawkins
Yosemite 
Sent from my iPhone
-- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
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