If a tornado is heading straight for your town, would you strap a bullhorn to your car and drive around, yelling at everyone to find shelter?

Ask the authoritative source who issued the alert to send a copy of the alert to each of your friends. If you received the alert via a computer security mailing list, tell your friends about the list and give them instructions on how to sign up. (Caution: don’t add your friends to a mailing list without their permission. They might retaliate by adding you to hundreds of mailing lists without your permission.)

• FAQ: How often does virus hysteria occur?
• FAQ: How can I reduce the spread of hoax virus alerts in my company?
• FAQ: How can I spot a hoax computer virus/worm alert?
• FAQ: I received a virus alert from an authoritative source. Should I forward it to my friends?
• FAQ: My friend forwarded a hoax email to everyone. What can I do to help my duped friend?
• FAQ: Why are we so addicted to antivirus updates?
• FAQ: Why do reporters focus on pointless trivia when they write about viruses & worms?
• FAQ: Why do we constantly update antivirus products, yet only occasionally update anti-hacking products?
• FAQ: Will ‘cyber-terrorism’ occur in the near future?