AT&T stupidity regarding IRC

WARNING NOTICE from AT&T Internet Services Security Center
From:
AT&T Internet Services Security Center <abuse@att.net>
To: (removed by me)
IMPORTANT COMPUTER SAFETY NOTICE from AT&T Internet Services Security Center -“IRC Traffic Detected”

We have evidence which indicates that a computer accessing the Internet via your Internet connection may be infected with malicious software such as a virus or worm.

Our investigation shows that the following IP was assigned to your log-on session at the indicated time and was using IRC connections to a computer network which is possibly a Botnet.


Date: (UTC) => Your IP:
2011-05-30 14:39:01 => (removed by me)


IRC Botnet infected systems commonly send or receive commands that can SPAM email, spread malicious software, and perpetrate identity theft.

IRC traffic on ports other than those normally used by IRC can be an indication of backdoor trojans or bots.

We realize that in some cases this may be normal activity if you are running an IRC server, but in order to protect yourself and others, we recommend that you scan every system that utilizes your internet connection with up to date Anti-virus software.

To address this problem, and in accordance with the terms of service and acceptable use policy of your service agreement, we ask that you immediately take the following steps to secure your network:

1.    If your computer(s) are managed by an Information Technology (IT) group at your place of work, then contact them immediately.

2.    AT&T offers a free online scan tool PC Health Check that will scan for virus/spyware activity. https://pccheck.att.com/index.aspx?RID=AG

3.    If your computer(s) are personally owned, then update the security software on your system (follow the instructions on your vendor's website). You might also consider installing new security software such as AT&T Security Suite. http://www.att.net/iss (You must be logged in with the Master Account ID to download AT&T Security Suite).

4.    If you are an advanced user, then consider reimaging your computer(s) and installing the necessary software patches. For less advanced users, this can be done by a third party such as AT&T Connect Tech. https://remotesupport.att.com/index.aspx AT&T Computer consultants trained to clean infected machines might also be located in your area (you can search at yp.com).

5.    In all cases, please respond by forwarding this email to: abuse@att.net with an acknowledgment of: "I am taking steps to address this infection." When we receive such an acknowledgment, we can maintain the high quality of service you expect from us. We welcome feedback on what removal tools or method were used.

Below are some additional sites you can visit for tools or information:

Microsoft Systems Anti-virus:
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Microsoft Safety Scanner:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

Apple Systems Anti-virus:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/avastantivirusmacedition.html

We also recommend you run anti-spyware application, like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or Spybot:
http://malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html


Regards,
AT&T Internet Services Security Center
abuse@att.net

SAFETY NOTE: We have included links in this email as a convenience.  Please note that it is always safer to copy and paste URLs included in email directly into your browser to reach the referenced site.