'Life Is Beautiful' Virus
Netlore Archive: False email alert warns Internet users to beware of a virus-bearing PowerPoint file entitled 'Life Is Beautiful.pps'
Description: Virus hoax
Circulating since: Jan. 2002
Status: False
Example:
Email contributed by E. Hook, May 29, 2002:
|
Important news This information arrived this morning, from Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who accesses the Internet. You may receive an apparently harmless email with a PowerPoint presentation called: "Life is beautiful.pps." If you receive it DO NOT OPEN THE FILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, and delete it immediately. If you open this file, a message will appear on your screen saying: "It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful", subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC and the person who sent it to you will gain access to your name, email and password. This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. The antivirus Softs are not capable of destroying it. The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself "life owner", and who aims to destroying domestic PCs and who also fights Microsoft in court! That's why it comes disguised with extension pps. He fights in court for the Windows-XP patent. MAKE A COPY OF THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. |
Analysis: This is a hoax, first spotted circulating via email in January 2002. The original message was written in Portuguese, with subsequent variants appearing in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. Symantec and other online security providers recommend simply ignoring the message.
While it is true that PowerPoint files are capable of containing computer viruses, there is no evidence that an infected file called "Life Is Beautiful" even exists, let alone is circulating on the Internet.
As always, your best protection from online viruses and worms is to be wary of opening any unknown file you have received vie email and to maintain regularly updated antivirus software on your computer. See resources below.
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Sources and further reading:
McAfee AVERT Hoax Notice: Life Is Beautiful
McAfee.com, 15 Jan 2002Life Is Beautiful Hoax
Symantec Security Response, 15 Jan 2002Antivirus Resources
From Mary Landesman, About.com
Last updated: 10/20/10
