FBI Says New Computer Virus Is Spreading Through E-mail

[Marjorie Simmons <lawyer () USIT NET>]

http://public.wsj.com/news/
FBI Says New Computer Virus Is Spreading Through E-mail
Associated Press
5-28-00

WASHINGTON -- A new and dangerous computer virus dubbed
"Killer Resume" is spreading through e-mail systems using the
Microsoft Outlook program, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
said Friday night.

Anti-virus companies reported that several corporate e-mail systems
had already been infected, and some shut down, the FBI's National
Infrastructure Protection Center said.

The virus is carried in a file attached to an e-mail with the subject
"Resume -- Janet Simons." The attachment is a Microsoft Word file
called "EXPLORER.DOC" or "RESUME.DOC," according to an alert
posted on the Web site of Network Associates, a computer security
company.

If a computer user opens the attachment, the virus will spread
itself by sending an e-mail to everyone in the user's e-mail address
book, the company said. When the user closes the Word document,
the virus will then delete important files on the user's computer.

The FBI advised computer users not to open any e-mail with this
subject line, to deactivate the executive summary feature in Microsoft
Outlook, and then delete the e-mail without opening it. The anti-
virus industry was working on software patches to stop the virus, the
FBI said.

The government warning said the Memorial Day weekend could
allow the virus to spread over the next three days with a potentially
rapid surge in activity as business open overseas on Monday and in
the United States on Tuesday.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Network Associates said the virus was
known as the "Killer Resume" because it arrives pretending to be a
resume from a potential job applicant.

Symantec AntiVirus Research Center of Cupertino, Calif., said the
virus was "extremely fast-spreading," and the text of the message reads:

  "To Director of Sales/Marketing,
   Attached is my resume with a list of references contained within.
   Please feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any further questions
   regarding my experience. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
   Sincerely,
   Janet Simons."

Earlier this month, the spread of a computer virus that could have
done more damage than the "Love Bug" was slowed by U.S.
companies that had strengthened their defenses against attacks
from the Internet.

The virus, dubbed "NewLove," infected thousands of computers
around the world, but failed to become an epidemic like the Love
Bug that reached millions three weeks ago.

Safeguards put in place on corporate e-mail systems against the
earlier virus stopped NewLove's spread. The FBI said the virus
shared some characteristics with the Love Bug and have launched
a search for the creator.

The Love Bug arrived in e-mails with an "ILOVEYOU" subject line
that enticed millions of recipients to open the attachment that
activated the virus. Once news spread of the threat, infected
e-mails were easily detected and deleted.

Estimates of the damage caused by that virus range up to $10
billion, mostly in lost work time.

As with NewLove and the Love Bug, Killer Resume will only
spread from recipients running Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program.

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