Email address from website sending viruses

[palmpal]

Hello,

I've recently received notification that emails sent from the email address on my website contains a virus! I've never sent the emails in question. Can someone explain what this means and what action I should take? Should I post a message on my website or in my newsletters about this situation?

Thanks!

[bateman_ap]

Hi, most viruses these days when they are sent to someone spoof their "FROM" address. They can get this information from a variety of sources including the cache of a web page in an infected machine. This is prob how your email address was found by the virus and why some people who don't have much knowledge on the subject think that you may be sending them viruses.

It is now best practice for people to turn off the auto reply function on their virus checkers and spam filters to stop this kind of thing.

[The_Hat]

But please please make sure that you are clean, and that the webserver is clean before you disregard the notification as a spoofed "from".
If you have an antiviral program make sure that the definitions are up to date and give your computer a thorough checking. If you do not have an antiviral program, you need to get one. The internet isn't a friendly place to be any longer.

[palmpal]

I do run a virus detection software and my signature files are updated daily.

I was wondering what this means though:

"It is now best practice for people to turn off the auto reply function on their virus checkers and spam filters to stop this kind of thing."

Where do I turn off auto-reply and what does that have to do with virus checkers and spam filters?

Thanks!

[webtress]

As mentioned above the address could be pick-up from a number of sources including anyone who has your email address in their address book. Also just drop your host an email informing them of these notices. Remove any alias email addreses that are not being used.

[bateman_ap]

On some systems when a virus is detected in a email the virus checker fires off a reply to the address it appears to come from telling them they have a virus and their message wasn't delivered etc.

However as most of the addresses are spoofed they don't mean anything and jsut clog up mail servers