Computer Virus Information [ F-PROT Shareware ]


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Shareware Documentation: What to do if you find a new virus...

Information provided courtesy of Frisk's shareware F-PROT documentation, version 2.25

If a new virus appears, F-PROT may miss it, or report it either as a "New variant of ..." or "Possibly a new variant of ...". In this case we may not have a copy of the virus, but would of course appreciate receiving it.

The same applies to false alarms - despite our precautions they may occasionally appear, but we always try to correct them as soon as possible. This is particularly important for false alarms generated by Secure scan, but we also try to fix any false alarms created by the heuristic scanner.

There are several methods that can be used to send files to us:

The best method involves anonymous FTP to complex.is, and putting the files in the /incoming directory. JUST DO NOT FORGET TO UPLOAD THE FILES IN BINARY MODE! This directory is write-only, but for added security the files may be encrypted. We recommend PGP 2.3 (or later) (see public key below), but PKZIP or ARJ encryption is probably sufficient, provided the password is sent via a more secure route - such as by fax. If you use FTP, please don't use an "obvious" name such as NEWVIR.ZIP - although we download the files regularly, there is always a chance of a new upload overwriting an earlier one - in particular as you cannot check which files are in the directory.
NOTE: If using PGP, please do not use the personal keys of Fridrik Skulason or Vesselin Bontchev - use the public key of Frisk Software International (included below).
The files may also be E-mailed to our Internet address ([email protected]) after they have been converted from binary to printable form. XXencode is recommended, but UUencode will usually work. BtoA, BinHex and MIME-encoded files are accepted, but due to the extra work involved in handling them we appreciate if you could avoid those formats.
You can also use PGP with the -A switch to create a file that can be sent by E-mail.
A slower method is to mail us (or one of the distributors of the commercial version) a diskette with the virus. Ordinary mail may take up to two weeks to arrive, so if time is critical we recommend DHL. However, do not use Emery Worldwide or any other company that sends the package accompanied with an air way bill. Also, do not include a bill - even one that says "computer disk, value $1". If you do, the package may get stuck in customs here in Iceland for days. We consider viruses to have no value....please don't put a price on them.
Boot sector viruses create a special problem. The best way is to mail the actual diskette, but a TELEDISK image will usually do. In an emergency, you can send us a boot sector image or a hex dump of the boot sector.