ELM Bulletin - January 19, 2007
Virus Warning: Storm Worm
Please take note of the following virus notice (quoted from the Ziff Davis website)
Computer virus writers started to use raging European storms on Friday to attack thousands of computers in an unusual real-time assault, head of research at Finnish data security firm F-Secure told Reuters.
The virus, which the company named "Storm Worm," has been sent to hundreds of thousands of e-mail addresses globally, with the e-mail's subject line saying "230 dead as storm batters Europe."The attached file contains malicious software that can infiltrate computer systems.
"What makes this exceptional is the timely nature of the attack," Mikko Hypponen, head of research at F-Secure said.
Hypponen said thousands of computers around the world, most in private use, had been affected.
He said most users would not notice the malicious software, or Trojan, which creates a back door to the computer that can be exploited later to steal data or to use the computer to post spam.
We warn you to be wary of un-solicited email, regardless of its stated source or content. Once you have viewed an email message, whether in a preview screen or by opening the message, any malicious software contained in the message will have already infected your computer.
To best protect yourself from automatic installation of email based malware turn off the preview feature in your email program's inbox and deleted items folders.
Please stay tuned for our regular monthly ELM Bulletin in which we will offer a brief analysis of Microsoft Office 2007.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this or any other issue.
Past issues of the ELM Bulletin are available from our website, feel free to forward them to anyone you wish.
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