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This page explains in great detail why not:

http://language.perl.com/misc/virus.html

Additional support:

http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=vir us

A search on Google for "viruses" turns up 1,480,000 hits.
A search on Google for "virii" turns up 38,200 hits.

Any technical literature written by professionals will NEVER EVER USE THE WORD VIRII! IT'S NOT A REAL WORD! The plural of "virus" is "viruses"!

http://www.mcafee.com - on the FRONT PAGE the word "viruses" is printed several times. "Virii" is not.

http://www.centralcommand.com - same deal.

I'm going to keep posting this on every virus story that comes up until everyone gets the damn hint!

Disclaimer: I am not a Symantec employee. To prove it, McAfee has their own product.

It seems just about every damn virus nowadays spreads via Outlook or Outlook Express which is too bad

But has anybody (specially Timothy) actually paid any attention to the damn stories?

Nowhere in these stories is it claimed that Sircam uses Outlook to spread! Maybe Timothy got the idea from reading this CNN article.

Geez, people, do you believe everything that CNN says? It's not like I really expect CNN to get this right, but /. readers are supposed to be better than that!

In fact, the Wired news clearly says that the virus serves as it's own SMTP client. A lot about this virus in fact resembles how the Judge Disemboweler virus operates.

The only thing that can be interpreted as using Outlook to spread itself is the fact that it takes its e-mail addresses from Windows Address Book files; however it will also try to get addresses from some files in the 'Temporary Internet Files' folder. This means it should be able to spread without any need for Outlook (just some e-mail client and a user naive enough to run the attachment) and without Windows Address Files.

All the usual sources of virus information seem to agree about this virus serving as its own SMTP client. Please check for yourselves:

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sir cam.worm@mm.html

http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99141&

http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/defaul t5.asp?VName=TROJ_SIRCAM.A

http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/defaul t5.asp?VName=TROJ_SIRCAM.A

http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32sircam a.html

http://www.europe.f-secure.com/v-descs/sircam.shtm l

http://service.pandasoftware.es/servlet/panda.pand aInternet.EntradaDatosInternet?operacion=FichaViru s&idVirusFicha=1911&pestanaFicha=1

http://support.centralcommand.com/cgi-bin/command. cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_refno=010718-000010

I think any pop up is annoying...if I wanted that shit opened, I would've clicked on it...now I gotta swing around and close out all this crap..McAfee's site is full of them...they always get in the way of where I want to click...and when those lame sites that shoot up 15 different popups and keep reopening, I can't even find the site I was browsing before that...

.kb

This Is pretty funny and related to the topic. It's a map of where virus'? viri? whatever... attack...
Basically A map of stupidity...
Is Your State Stupid?

.NET is already out there.

.NET is here

Anyone can sell tech support, sell me something I can't get anywhere else. How about web based applications like McAfee is offering their customers now? Or better software bundles on you distrib CD's? (I saw some Linux shipping with ViaVoice just a few days ago for $60, same price as ViaVoice without an OS is).

I'm connected with an ADSL modem on a Linux fw. I'm subscribed since last October and until early november I've encountered many NetBIOS scans from fellow clients of my ISP. After some investigation I've discovered that it was in fact caused by a virus/trojan named "W32/QAZ.worm" (for a description read this).
So, I will urge everyone to check their computer, mostly windoze users, for this kind of trojan. It's kind of sticky and fast breeding.

Of course not all of those are necessarily "windows applications" but most of them certainly are. Of course, we're dodging the essencial question. Does the body of applications that have been developed for MS-Windoze present a barrier to entry for other operating systems? The answer is tricky, obviously many of us here on /. use non-MS operating systems. Clearly there is no significant barrier to entry for the technically proficient portion of the computer market. However, to the other 99% of computer users MS applications present a totally insurmountable barrier to entry. It is not possible for any alternative operating systems vendor to develop applications that would draw a significant portion of end-users away from MS products. This impossibility was created by MS and is vigerously maintained by MS through predatory buisness practices. The problem is inherent to the buisness model of MS. It cannot be 'fixed' with less than the most dramatic of methods because the factors which created the MS model forged modern software/OS development. The only way to remove MS's abuse of it's monopolistic position is to fundamentally alter the way software is developed and sold. Shattering MS into pieces might do the trick. It could also turn Sun or Oracle into the same kind of monster in another 20 years.

I found this article interesting as a novelty, but since the virus you're refering to (according to this link) is out of date by 7 months the only thing this proves is that I don't have my degree in history :)

Also, another distinction I should point out is that this virus only affected Outlook Express, not Outlook which was the topic of conversation, and didn't work on NT or have a payload. This isolated incident does not support your image of an OS "totaly lacking any security" as the security hole was patched 7 months ago as can be seen here.

I see your point though, security on the net is a big issue and always will be. However, it's an issue for Microsoft OS' AND *nix. For every security feature implemented a couple more develop.

Outlook comes set up by default to open each mail you get for you (previews), and can run scripts in this fashion without you even being in front of the computer, or you can disable this in Outlook which would limit these dangers to only occur as you click on them to read them, which of course is great security (cough).

Melissa nor any other VBS/Macro based worm is spread in the manner you describe. It is spread via attachments as I previously stated. In fact, I don't have experience with any virus, trojen, worm or other type of 'pathogen' of any kind that is spread by viewing them in Outlook's preview pane.

Would you kindly post examples, or are you done being a Micro-bigot? It's fine if you don't like their OS or their software, but at least don't spread disinformation about it. There's plenty of tangable problems you can hit on without spewing vapor.

References for you:
Info on the Melissa virus
Info on the ILOVEYOU virus

Is this enough or should I cross reference?

Outlook comes set up by default to open each mail you get for you (previews), and can run scripts in this fashion without you even being in front of the computer, or you can disable this in Outlook which would limit these dangers to only occur as you click on them to read them, which of course is great security (cough).

Melissa nor any other VBS/Macro based worm is spread in the manner you describe. It is spread via attachments as I previously stated. In fact, I don't have experience with any virus, trojen, worm or other type of 'pathogen' of any kind that is spread by viewing them in Outlook's preview pane.

Would you kindly post examples, or are you done being a Micro-bigot? It's fine if you don't like their OS or their software, but at least don't spread disinformation about it. There's plenty of tangable problems you can hit on without spewing vapor.

References for you:
Info on the Melissa virus
Info on the ILOVEYOU virus

Is this enough or should I cross reference?

In the mean time, I'll show you some other security experts. For instance, there are the largest antivirus companies, McAfee (NAI) and Symantec (Norton).

To provide some quotes from these pages:

If the user runs the attachment the worm runs using the Windows Scripting Host program.

Payload trigger: On execution of email attachment

Seems like they're on my side. The CERT advisory doesn't explicitly say either way how the virus is executed, but it does tell users to exercise caution opening attachments, which implicitly says that opening an attachment is required.

Damn I hope McAfee have updated their algorithms - and ported to Linux!!!

Well, the subject says it all, but I'll add in some more.
I am currently using Outlook Express (although I do also use Pine) and PGP Desktop Security (which is a really nice package for creating PGP encrypted disks and key management) The two work very well together, and checking the About info on PGP, it says version 6.0.2

PGP Desktop Security is available at http://store.mcafee.com/product.as p?ProductID=16