Is this a virus?

I received this message in my e-mail today. I have never had this sent to
me before. All my Microsoft updates are automatically downloaded to my
computer.
Looks strange to me. Do you think this is a virus.
Thank you in advance. I am not touching anything on this page.
Cindy
Microsoft All Products | Support | Search | Microsoft.com
Guide
Microsoft Home




Microsoft Customer

this is the latest version of security update, the "July 2009,
Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all known security vulnerabilities
affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express as well as
three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to protect your computer
from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an
attacker to run code on your system. This update includes the functionality
of all previously released patches.




System requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later
MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later
MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation Customers should install the patch at the earliest
opportunity.
How to install Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use You don't need to do anything after installing this item.



Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can be
found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For security-related
information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security
Advisor web site, or Contact Us.

Thank you for using Microsoft products.

Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored
e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are
the trademarks of their respective owners.



Contact Us | Legal | TRUSTe
©2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use |
Privacy Statement | Accessibility



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get rid of it immediately. MS never sends unsolicited e-mail.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Cindy" <> wrote in message
news:O8mfCV0%...
> I received this message in my e-mail today. I have never had this sent
> to me before. All my Microsoft updates are automatically downloaded to
> my computer.
> Looks strange to me. Do you think this is a virus.
> Thank you in advance. I am not touching anything on this page.
> Cindy
> Microsoft All Products | Support | Search | Microsoft.com
> Guide
> Microsoft Home
>
>
>
>
> Microsoft Customer
>
> this is the latest version of security update, the "July 2009,
> Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all known security
> vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook
> Express as well as three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to
> protect your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of
> which could allow an attacker to run code on your system. This update
> includes the functionality of all previously released patches.
>
>
>
>
> System requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
> This update applies to MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later
> MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later
> MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
> Recommendation Customers should install the patch at the earliest
> opportunity.
> How to install Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog
> box.
> How to use You don't need to do anything after installing this item.
>
>
>
> Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can be
> found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For security-related
> information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security
> Advisor web site, or Contact Us.
>
> Thank you for using Microsoft products.
>
> Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored
> e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are
> the trademarks of their respective owners.
>
>
>
> Contact Us | Legal | TRUSTe
> ©2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use |
> Privacy Statement | Accessibility
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

Thank you Bruce, just as I thought.
Cindy

"Bruce Hagen" <> wrote in message
news:e7%23PYZ0%...
> Get rid of it immediately. MS never sends unsolicited e-mail.
> --
>
> Bruce Hagen
> MS-MVP [Mail]
> Imperial Beach, CA
>
>
> "Cindy" <> wrote in message
> news:O8mfCV0%...
>> I received this message in my e-mail today. I have never had this sent
>> to me before. All my Microsoft updates are automatically downloaded to
>> my computer.
>> Looks strange to me. Do you think this is a virus.
>> Thank you in advance. I am not touching anything on this page.
>> Cindy
>> Microsoft All Products | Support | Search | Microsoft.com
>> Guide
>> Microsoft Home
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Microsoft Customer
>>
>> this is the latest version of security update, the "July 2009,
>> Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all known security
>> vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook
>> Express as well as three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to
>> protect your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of
>> which could allow an attacker to run code on your system. This update
>> includes the functionality of all previously released patches.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> System requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
>> This update applies to MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and
>> later
>> MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later
>> MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
>> Recommendation Customers should install the patch at the earliest
>> opportunity.
>> How to install Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog
>> box.
>> How to use You don't need to do anything after installing this
>> item.
>>
>>
>>
>> Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can
>> be found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For
>> security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the
>> Microsoft Security Advisor web site, or Contact Us.
>>
>> Thank you for using Microsoft products.
>>
>> Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored
>> e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are
>> the trademarks of their respective owners.
>>
>>
>>
>> Contact Us | Legal | TRUSTe
>> ©2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use |
>> Privacy Statement | Accessibility
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>

"Bruce Hagen" wrote ...
> Get rid of it immediately. MS never sends unsolicited e-mail.

Yes, of course it is certainly malware and should be deleted
without even opening it.

I get lots of phishing and malware emails every week. Many of
them purporting to be from banks and requesting security info.
Most banks (and PayPal and other large online companies)
provide an email which you can send these emails to. Then then
actively go after the source and shut them down to prevent more
people from being duped by the fake and malicious messages.

HOWEVER, after 30 minutes of searching the Microsoft website
and trying several methods, it turns out that MS is apparently not
interested in reports of malicious emails being sent in their name.
I found this not just frustrating (that I could not find some obvious
malware reporting mechanism) but it also gave me the distinct
impression that MS just doesn't care about their customers being
targeted.

"Richard Crowley" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "Bruce Hagen" wrote ...
>> Get rid of it immediately. MS never sends unsolicited e-mail.
>
> Yes, of course it is certainly malware and should be deleted
> without even opening it.
>
> I get lots of phishing and malware emails every week. Many of
> them purporting to be from banks and requesting security info.
> Most banks (and PayPal and other large online companies)
> provide an email which you can send these emails to. Then then
> actively go after the source and shut them down to prevent more
> people from being duped by the fake and malicious messages.
>
> HOWEVER, after 30 minutes of searching the Microsoft website
> and trying several methods, it turns out that MS is apparently not
> interested in reports of malicious emails being sent in their name.
> I found this not just frustrating (that I could not find some obvious
> malware reporting mechanism) but it also gave me the distinct
> impression that MS just doesn't care about their customers being
> targeted.


No one here works for MS so you're preaching to the choir. I doubt there is
much they could do about it though.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA

> HOWEVER, after 30 minutes of searching the Microsoft website
> and trying several methods, it turns out that MS is apparently not
> interested in reports of malicious emails being sent in their name.

I suspect that they're acutely aware of it but what can they do about it?

Providing forms or links on their website as a malware reporting mechanism
would probably be fruitless and they'd be bombarded 24/7 with billions of
such malicious emails themselves - thereby creating another problem to solve
in itself.

--
Regards

John Waller

"John Waller" wrote ...
>> HOWEVER, after 30 minutes of searching the Microsoft website
>> and trying several methods, it turns out that MS is apparently not
>> interested in reports of malicious emails being sent in their name.
>
> I suspect that they're acutely aware of it but what can they do about it?
>
> Providing forms or links on their website as a malware reporting mechanism
> would probably be fruitless and they'd be bombarded 24/7 with billions of
> such malicious emails themselves - thereby creating another problem to
> solve in itself.

You've apparently never forwarded a phishing email to PayPal.
They have a 7x24 automated system of analyzing the suspicious
messages and the spoof addresses go to their security people who
go after the sources, their ISPs, their wire carriers, etc. etc. It
appears to be quite effective and very satisftying to receive a
response confirming that it was in fact a malicious content. I
can't believe that MS isn't smart enough to do something similar.
Or....

It
> appears to be quite effective and very satisftying to receive a
> response confirming that it was in fact a malicious content.

That's nice. Lots of resources to confirm what I already knew. Then what?
The malicious nature is confirmed. What to do about it? Delete it? That's
good.

Microsoft could then say to the user, "please dispose of this email
carefully without opening it". Prudent email users already do this without
waiting for a security report.

I guess that Microsoft are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

--
Regards

John Waller

"John Waller" < wrote ...
> It
>> appears to be quite effective and very satisftying to receive a
>> response confirming that it was in fact a malicious content.
>
> That's nice. Lots of resources to confirm what I already knew. Then what?
> The malicious nature is confirmed. What to do about it? Delete it? That's
> good.
>
> Microsoft could then say to the user, "please dispose of this email
> carefully without opening it". Prudent email users already do this without
> waiting for a security report.
>
> I guess that Microsoft are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I guess you missed (and snipped) the part about actively taking
action against the phishers. It is not just a confirmation process.

Dunno whether Microsoft would be damned if they do becuase
apparently they don't.