Hoaxes Hoaxes are electronic mail or other group postings, which raise an alarm about a nonexistent virus. The message is intended to cause its reader to forward the information to others, thus creating a pattern similar to a chain letter. In the case of the LoveLetter worm, a virus warning also can carry a viral payload, such as a worm or virus. Hoaxes tend to alarm computer users about nonexistent viruses, and valuable resources are consumed while others attempt to verify the warning. The best way to verify the virus warning is to visit a reputable virus company's Web site, such as Symantec or Network Associates.
Some independent agencies provide another avenue to receive virus information.
All of these sites have virus warning mailing lists. While Macintosh and UNIX machines are not immune to viral attacks, their operating systems are programmed differently and require a specialized program to function. For this reason, viruses that affect Windows-based systems will generally be unable to affect Macintosh and UNIX systems. Faculty and staff should be aware that any virus warning sent by DIT has been verified through reputable sites and should take appropriate steps to safeguard their systems. DIT routinely sends electronic mail out through the UH-Antivirus mailing list when appropriate.