Melissa virus goes global

Published: 31 March 1999 y., Wednesday
MeThe Melissa computer virus, discovered only last Friday,has spread itself by e-mail around the world and is causing havoc for large corporations, according to security experts.It is just a macro virus but it has this additional feature of being able to get around quick.Melissa conceived in sex group Dr Solomon_s VirusPatrol, which checks newsgroups on the Net for developing viruses, discovered Melissa in a sex newsgroup on March 26.The New York Times reported that several major US corporations shut down their mail servers on Friday night as they became overloaded with messages created by the virus.Comments inside the macro virus identify it as "Melissa...by Kwyjibo." Computers become infected when users receive a particular e-mail and open a Word document attached to it.The e-mail is headed: "Important Message From" and contains the sentence: "Here is that document you asked for...don_t show anyone else ;-)." the attachment is usually called list.doc.If the user launches the document, their computer becomes infected, although the worst thing that can happen apparently is if it is launched when the day equals the minute value...such as 29 minutes past on the 29th, the following message appears:
" Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game_s over. I_m outta here." When the document attachment is launched, a program is created which replicates the e-mail and sends it to the first 50 addresses in the Global Address Book of users running Microsoft_s Outlook personal organiser. Microsoft, Network Associates and other anti-virus and computer security companies have issued warnings and are supplying fixes for Melissa.
Šaltinis: Internet
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

Apple fans abuzz over new iMac

With Apple Computer's next iMac expected to be unveiled as soon as next week, Mac fan sites are buzzing with speculation over the design more »

Veritas opens China shop

Like many of the major IT players, Veritas has stepped up its presence in China courtesy of a separate corporate entity in the country and a new development center more »

China Cracks Down on Internet Porn

China will improve its long-term mechanism to combat Internet pornography, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Information Industry here Thursday more »

search.lt news

search.lt presents newest links more »

Microsoft lets companies block SP2 upgrade

Although Microsoft recommends that consumers turn on Automatic Update to get the latest version of Windows, the company is offering to let companies temporarily block such upgrades more »

Linux 'no threat' to Windows on the desktop

Benefits not enough to warrant a major shift in platform strategy, finds report more »

HP Makes Services Buy, Embraces DAT

HP is acquiring IT services provider Synstar for $297 million in cash to shore up its overseas presence as it battles IBM's Global Services division more »

Wi-Fi phones make a splash

Cell phone makers plan to release so-called Wi-Fi phones ahead of schedule more »

Street Access to the Cyberhighway

TCC Teleplex chief Dennis Novick says pay phones with high-speed Net connections in New York City are only the start of its plans more »

Gates Touts 'Modeling' Era For Software

New software modeling systems are breaking out of academia and making their way into Microsoft's product pipeline, the company's chairman said Thursday more »