Virus in the Avsim File Library?

[Guest]

I've heard both on the POSKY forums and the fs2002.com forums that there is a virus in the library that effects the .exe files on your computer. Some people have had to reinstall windows to get their systems up and running. I havn't seen any announcements about not using the library due to the virus. Is it safe now?-Will

[Guest Miro Majcen]

Hi Will, i am not sure exactly which file you're talking about here, but all AVSIM File Library files are checked against possible viruses and only then put into place where everyone of you can download them. I would also recommend that you install and maintain a proper antivirus checker on your PC as well. Hope this helps,Miro MajcenSenior Managing EditorAVSIM Onlinewww.avsim.com

[Guest]

There is absolutely no truth to this statement. We have no virus that we know of or that have been reported to us. For anyone to circulate this kind of untruth is doing the entire simming community a disservicehttp://www.avsim.com/pages/robert/kirkland.jpg

[Guest]

That is where my suspicions were leading me because I scanned my computer with norton antivirus and it showed no infected files. Would you perhaps like the links to the threads that were about the virus?

[Guest Matt Johnson]

We have already found them, and find their evidence to be completely uncorroborated. The thread on fs2002.com came from Project Opensky, where a user claimed that "a professional told him the virus came from AVSIM". Make of that what you will.Regards,

[Guest]

Thanks for clearing that up Matt! Nothing comes close to the quality and quantity of the Avsim Library :-)Many Thanks,Will

[Guest]

Um guys,I found out it was more than one person with this virus which I can't seem to find out the name but I was talking to someone who got it and he said he got it after downloading alot of files from avsim.comRemember this might be a new virus so anti-virus software might not find it if it's new.

[Guest]

WEll if that person wants to send us a list of the files he says are infected we will check them. With thousands of downloads everyday the mobs would be at our door if we had infected files.Just so you know every file uploaded is inspected for virus before it is posted to the site. There is simply no way that this virus could happen from our site. In addition, it is more liekly the files became infected when he downloaded them to his system which already had the virus.And we update all of our virus softweare and a regular basishttp://www.avsim.com/pages/robert/kirkland.jpg

[Guest tgabriel]

Hi Guys,There are NO VIRUSES in Avsim's downloadable files. Of that fact I am absolutely positive. Over the last few months, I have downloaded many, many files from Avsim and other providers as I am just getting started in building my inventory of simulator stuff. Every single file has gone through a three layer protection scheme we have here on our network and the pattern files on each of those layers and the main program files running each of those layers layers are updated very frequently (sometimes hourly if the threat level is high. Right now, the threat level is low). If there had been any sign of a virus the offending file would have been dealt with and I would have known where it originated, who wrote it, and the originating server, and what the virus signature was and I would have reported it to Avsim via the proper network security channels, not in this forum.Now, listen: AVSIM DOES NOT HAVE VIRUSES ON ITS DOWNLOADABLE EXECUTABLES.Those of you who are passing these rumors along are creating exactly what the authors of viruses like to see. Bandwidth hogging traffic about inane garbage. That is almost as effective as the viruses themselves. Where I work we get over 3,000 e-mails a day. Some of them have viruses and none are successful. In fact, ever since we have been connected to the Internet (1995) we have NEVER had a successful attack. Would you like to know why? I'll tell you anyway: We keep our software to stop these attacks UP TO DATE. There are several anti virus packages out there and if you do not use one along with a firewall and if you do not keep your pattern files up to date, the viruses you get are your fault. Do not blame AVSIM or any other business for your sorry laziness.And stop sending out these groundless rumors.

[Guest]

Guys I am just wondering what virus software do you use for avsim.

[Guest tgabriel]

At first I hesitated to reply because I do not want to seem to be trying to "sell" a product. Then I decided to go ahead. The big two are well known and others exist - ours is one of them.We use Trend Micro Products at work on our network and at home I use Trend's PC-Cillin. Everyone who works in our organization has the right to use PC-Cillin under our license on their home PCs if they have authorization to dial-in to our network. If not, they can get the program for a discount. We have discovered through a detailed analysis that the Trend products are top flight, well supported, and trustworthy. This is not to say the others aren't. Our position is that the algorithms used are very important and our anti-virus specialists (of which I am not one), through extensive and on-going research have determined that what we now have is the best available.You can do a google search on them to find out more.

[Guest]

Just to let you know who ever started this wild rumour has slanderd a lot of people and should say sorry as It looks to me that there is no evidance of a virus. I have downloaded over 100 files from Avsim and have had no problems what so ever.Remeber it is illegal to Slander people and the folk who are saying this are lucky that no one has yet taken them to court for damages. If i were you i would stop these wils roumours before someone does take someone to court!

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Anyone who knows anything about AVSIM or who has been around a while knows that we automatically do two things; we automatically fetch the latest virus tables daily and we automatically disassemble and analyse files upon upload BEFORE they are accepted into the library. Granted, there are no 100 percent guarantees in life and a user is foolish to not be running their own virus checkers on their desktops. But, AVSIM does everything that is within our power to prevent virus' from being transmitted via files uploaded to our system, and we take very seriously our role as a major portal for file storage and use within our hobby.People who claim that virus' are coming from AVSIM are ignorant of our processes and either are very foolish, malicious or both, and most likely a "kiddie" that has nothing better to do with their wandering imagination. The staff of AVSIM have much better things to do than to play silly bugger games with them. The user community knows the quality of our service, and any reasonably intelligent member of our hobby dismisses these kiddies for what they are.

[Guest]

I have been reading and looking around and I found out if a new virus is released it's first attack is successful because most and just about all anti-virus software don't pick it up and what happens if this virus which people have been talking about was first released here and you guys aren't telling us so your download numbers don't go low.

[Guest]

Another thing I work in the internet industry and also found out that some large companys have had some bad virus's but they didn't release any news about it just so they wouldn't loose clients.