Truth About Computer Security Hysteria

Q&A: Why don't you show misguided alert messages on Vmyths?

First: we don't want someone mistaking a copy of an alert message as a genuine alert notice. Vmyths occasionally deals with users who believed a hoax after reading the text on an antivirus vendor's website.

Second: we don't see the need for it. Either you've already seen the alert in question, or you'll see it soon enough when a frightened colleague forwards it to you. We'd rather summarize the alert and explain why it qualifes as a hoax or urban legend.

Third: too many variations exist for too many hoax virus alerts. It would take far more effort than it's worth to document each variation of each hoax.

Last updated: 2001/1/20