Re: Word's Macro Virus

[David Blyth <dblyth -at- QUALCOMM -dot- COM>]

Hi Jacob;

>I cannot understand how anyone could have spent 24 hours devirusing the
>Macs -

As a UNIX fan, my basic question is why someone would want to spend
24 hours with a Mac for any reason.... ;) (a joke, a joke...).

>Further David, the virus detective and the disinfectant programs as well
>as the majestic GateKeeper have always been FREEWARE for the Mac

I'm not an expert on the subject, but apparently the usual virus
detection devices won't work on the macro virus - you don't see
the virus until you're inside the Word document.  Removing the
macro from the template doesn't work. Like most viruses, it
replicates - in this case, moving from an infected document to
the template (I think - as I said, I'm not an expert).

The MS solution (such as it is) is to open _each_ Word6 document
you've got, check for the virus, kill it when it's there, then open
the next doc.  And some people at QUALCOMM had several hundred Word6
docs on their disk - or more.  Suppose you worked in CM, for example.

Fortunately, QUALCOMM has computer people who will baby sit your
Mac while you sleep.  Unfortunately, none of them will baby sit
mine while I go use something else....

David (The Unbiased)
Technical Writer
QUALCOMM

PS.  OK.  I promise to skip Mac jokes for awhile.  Feel free to tell
     UNIX jokes next...

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