One of the problems with the detection and elimination of computer viruses is that there are many hoax viruses that exist that make computer users believe that legitimate virus threats are also hoaxes. Thousands of e-mails are sent from one person to another everyday warning of new computer viruses and how they are contracted. Many of these warnings are the equivalent of “crying wolf” to computer users, and the problem is that once enough hoaxes have been passed along, users begin to automatically dismiss all warnings of viruses as hoaxes.

Part of the problem with virus hoaxes is that many computer users pass them to their entire contact list before checking the legitimacy of the message. There are several websites devoted to exposing hoax viruses in an effort to stop the spread of false information and help people to focus on viruses that are real threats.

Another problem with hoax virus alerts is that many computer users spend a great deal of time checking their system and deleting questionable files for a virus that is nothing more than a rumor. Network administrators may shut down entire networks, rendering thousands of computers useless while they check the validity of a virus hoax. Again, a quick check of one of several websites can quickly determine whether or not a virus warning is legitimate.

There are several well known virus hoaxes that have been circulating for years. Chances are, you may have received messages with warnings related to these hoaxes at one time or another.

One famous hoax is the Budweiser Frogs Screensaver Hoax, an e-mail claiming that downloading the screensaver would steal all usernames and passwords and erase the user’s entire hard drive.

One of the oldest and most well known virus hoaxes originated in 1994 and is called the “Good Times” Virus Hoax. The e-mail would warn recipients that any e-mail with the phrase “good times” in the subject line would expose the computer to a virus if the e-mail was opened. Users were told to delete the e-mail without opening it.

There are a few ways to make sure that users don’t waste time and energy on virus hoaxes. First, common sense and reason should be enough for a computer user not to worry about outrageous warnings. Some virus hoaxes claim that opening certain E-mails will, for example, cause a computer to “explode.” There is no known virus that will cause a computer explosion, but some users waste their own time and their recipient’s time spreading concerns such as this.

Many of the virus hoaxes that are sent to E-mail boxes are sent by spammers who are simply flooding the Internet with as much useless garbage as possible. Hackers are getting more creative every day, and an effective virus hoax can be nearly as crippling to a computer network as a legitimate virus. The best policy is to have effective anti-virus software, trust that software, and do your part to stop the spread hoax virus E-mails.