The joys of user support

jasonh

Below is a real e-mail string that happened a few minutes ago. The other IT guy who usually handles these is on vacation so I get the endure them today.

I've had lots of issues users (especially this one) getting confused and trying to open attachments containing viruses/trojans (luckily none actually infected any machines so far), so I put a content filter in place that prepends the subject line with "### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ###" if there is a .zip (and other archive formats) attached. After this I think I'm just going to completely block .zip but I know it will cause a lot of whining from the engineers and facilities departments who regularly get legitimate .zip files (I'm going to tell them they will have to use our web-based file transfer system for .zip)

From: HSBC notification [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: August-08-14 9:01 AM
To: Recipients
Subject: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

Dear Sir/Madam,

The attached payment advice is issued at the request of our customer.

The advice is for your reference only.

Yours faithfully,
Global Payments and Cash Management
HSBC.

This is an auto-generated email, please DO NOT REPLY. Any replies to this email will be disregarded.

Security tips

Install virus detection software and personal firewall on your computer. This software needs to be updated regularly to ensure you have the latest protection.
To prevent viruses or other unwanted problems, do not open attachments from unknown or non-trustworthy sources.
If you discover any unusual activity, please contact the remitter of this payment as soon as possible.

This e-mail is confidential. It may also be legally privileged.
If you are not the addressee you may not copy, forward, disclose or use any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please delete it and all copies from your system and notify the sender immediately by return e-mail.

Internet communications cannot be guaranteed to be timely, secure, error or virus-free. The sender does not accept liability for any errors or omissions.

"SAVE PAPER - THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!
Fax: 371-21-6111 4212

From: <user>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 9:40 AM
To: <me>
Subject: FW: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

How can you quarantine and open this email

From: <me>
Sent: August-08-14 10:03 AM
To: <user>
Subject: RE: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

I'm not sure I understand the question; it looks like a virus, so I assume you don't want to open it?

From: <user>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 10:16 AM
To: <me>
Subject: RE: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

I want to open it as we are to get an advanced payment from Russia and Ukraine

From: <me>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 10:23 AM
To: <user>
Subject: RE: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

It does not appear to be legitimate; the e-mail address it was sent from says "[email protected]"

From: <user>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 10:32 AM
To: <me>
Subject: RE: ### WARNING: Potential Virus Attached ### Transaction Notification on A\c No 07918****9

Okay - deleted

Dashrender

While I might get a good laugh out of this if this happened to me, I think this user did everything right.

It's better than them trying to open it themselves just to be sure the sending company (it is Russia or the Ukraine after all) using a crazy hotmail account - I've seen to many legitimate businesses using hotmail to simply dismiss it.

I've blocked .zip files for years.

jasonh

True, I can give him credit for that; he didn't try to open it.

thanksajdotcom

Agree with everyone else. Some kudos are in order.