To all System Administrators and anyone else who operates antivirus software on a mail server:
In 1999, it may have been helpful or courteous to set up your mail server's antivirus software to issue notifications to senders of e-mails containing viruses. Someone might be spewing out viruses without even knowing it, and you could help them figure it out.
Fast forward 5 years. It is now 2004. Viruses now come packaged with their own SMTP server, and they forge the From address of the outbound messages. Recent memory cannot recall the last time a widespread virus was traceable based on the sender's e-mail address.
Therefore, it is no longer beneficial in any way to enable such notification features in the antivirus software. In 1999, you may have been helping to solve the problem. In 2004 you are contributing to the problem because you are creating a boatload of extra traffic, along with confused users, resulting in administrators spending precious time answering the same repeated question, "I just got this e-mail....do I have a virus?"
Of special interest is the obnoxiously worded notification. Case in point, received by one of my faitfhful minions:
If you feel you MUST take advantage of this no-longer-useful feature, at least word your message politely and truthfully.
Remember folks:
VIRUS NOTIFICATIONS ARE FOR NEWBIES!
Turn 'em off, please.
In 1999, it may have been helpful or courteous to set up your mail server's antivirus software to issue notifications to senders of e-mails containing viruses. Someone might be spewing out viruses without even knowing it, and you could help them figure it out.
Fast forward 5 years. It is now 2004. Viruses now come packaged with their own SMTP server, and they forge the From address of the outbound messages. Recent memory cannot recall the last time a widespread virus was traceable based on the sender's e-mail address.
Therefore, it is no longer beneficial in any way to enable such notification features in the antivirus software. In 1999, you may have been helping to solve the problem. In 2004 you are contributing to the problem because you are creating a boatload of extra traffic, along with confused users, resulting in administrators spending precious time answering the same repeated question, "I just got this e-mail....do I have a virus?"
Of special interest is the obnoxiously worded notification. Case in point, received by one of my faitfhful minions:
This is not an appropriate message to send. It begs the obvious response, "If YOUR mail administrator had not configured his virus protection poorly, it would have saved your server TONS of work, and mine too!"
If you feel you MUST take advantage of this no-longer-useful feature, at least word your message politely and truthfully.
Remember folks:
VIRUS NOTIFICATIONS ARE FOR NEWBIES!
Turn 'em off, please.
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