Are We Secure Yet On The Internet?
(only segments are re-printed here)
FAKE AOL FREEBIE DELETES FILES
Though it started as just another Internet virus hoax, the AOL4Free Trojan horse is now a real threat.
The hoax started when Nicholas Ryan of Yale University distributed an illegal program that actually
could get you onto America Online free of charge (Ryan pleaded guilty early this year). Soon a rumor
started going around that a program called aol4free.com would delete filtes from your hard drive.
Informed Netizens correctly determined the rumor to be false and got the word out. Unfortunately,
somebody decided to capitalize on this sense of relief and created a program with the same name
that really does delete files. Unlike a virus, which infects files or boot sectors and reproduces
itself, a Trojan horse is a destructive program masquerading as a useful one. You don't need a
special program to protect yourself: Just search your hard drive for aol4free.com; if you find it,
delete it. And don't launch e-mail attachments with that name. (end)
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