Please be aware, colleagues...This was Published Today in THE WASHINGTON POST
This is cleanable....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-03/28/137l-032899-idx.html
More information can be found at
www.cert.org/advisories/CA99-04-Melissa-Macro-Virus.html.
>E-Mail Virus Threatens to Flood Global
> Networks, Experts Say
>
> By John Schwartz
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Sunday, March 28, 1999; Page A09
>
> A devious new computer virus threatens to flood
electronic networks
> around the world with electronic mail containing its
victims' own word
> processing files, according to a federally funded
security group.
>
> The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie
Mellon
> University, which tracks hacker mischief, issued a rare
weekend advisory
> about the virus.
>
> "When the work force comes back to work on Monday, this
is going to be
> a problem" because so many copies of the virus have made
their way to
> computers in businesses and homes around the world, said
Jeffrey
> Carpenter of CERT.
>
> The new virus, known as Melissa, is part of a family of
digital bugs that
> prey on the "macro" functions -- that is, mini-programs
that people use to
> automate repetitive tasks -- in newer versions of
Microsoft Word.
>
> The virus is activated when a user opens an
"attachment," the files that
> sometimes accompany e-mail. The message accompanying the
attachment
> generally bears this attention-getting subject line:
"Important Message
> From" the sender. The body of the message reads: "Here
is that document
> you asked for . . . don't show anyone else ;-)."
>
> Once the attachment has been opened, the program sends
out e-mail to
> the first 50 people on the user's electronic address
book, attaching random
> word processing documents that it has infected, and the
cycle begins anew.
>
> The virus only affects computers using Microsoft Word 97
or Word 2000
> that also have the e-mail program Microsoft Outlook
installed (whether or
> not that program is used to send e-mail).
>
> The simplest way to avoid problems with Melissa and
other macro viruses
> is to turn off the automatic macro function. In Word 97
that means clicking
> on the "Tools" menu, choosing "Options," then "General"
and clicking the
> "Macro virus protection" check box. In Word 2000, the
menu items to
> click are "Tools," then "Macro," then "Security," and
then click the "High"
> option.
>
> Any user whose computer has become infected should use
the newest
> versions of the major commercial anti-virus programs,
which can eliminate
> macro viruses. Since the virus also infects the
Microsoft Word "template"
> file, called "normal.dot," users also have to either
delete that file (the
> program will automatically create a new copy, but users
who have
> customized their program will have to go through the
process again) or
> clean it using software provided by Microsoft at
www.microsoft.com
> /security/bulletins/ms99-002.asp.
>
> Most important, Carpenter said, computer users should
always be wary of
> attachments that come with e-mail: "You should not open
up an attachment
> unless you verify with a person that they have really
sent this attachment to
> you."
>
> More information can be found at
> www.cert.org/advisories/CA99-04-Melissa-Macro-Virus.html.
>
> � Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company
------------------------------------
Charles A. Ross
President
ACANTHUS Corporation
&
BEEDNET Group
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