Computer users weather 'Killer Resume' virus

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.techserver.com/noframes/story/0,2294,500210254-500294870-501612274-0,00.html

By BRUCE MEYERSON, Associated Press

NEW YORK (May 30, 2000 5:34 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - No
reports of major damage surfaced Tuesday after a weekend alert about
another new computer virus, a destructive bug masquerading as a rsum
sent by e-mail.

The FBI, criticized for waiting too long before warning computer users
about the "Love Bug" virus that attacked in early May, issued an alert
on the "Killer Resume" late Friday, but there were no updates planned
Tuesday, according to the agency's National Infrastructure Protection
Center.

Likewise, most computer security companies stopped sounding the alarm
after updating their anti-virus software over the weekend, suggesting
that major organizations and individual computer users either dodged
the latest bullet or took enough precautions to protect their networks
and machines from infection.

One anti-virus company, Trend Micro, downgraded its assessment of the
new bug from "high risk" to "medium risk."

While some corporate e-mail systems were infected late last week,
there were no major outbreaks reported overseas on Monday or as most
Americans returned to work on Tuesday after a three-day holiday
weekend.

Much like the Love Bug and several variations that bombarded computer
networks over the past month, destroying important files stored on
infected machines, the "Killer Resume" spreads through e-mail systems
that use the Microsoft Outlook program.

The new bug is attached to an e-mail with the subject line "Resume -
Janet Simons."

Computer users were again advised against opening suspicious e-mail
and to update their virus protection programs.

Meanwhile, in a related development, one computer services company
announced a new program designed to work as a more proactive defense
against future e-mail bugs before they have been identified and
addressed with updated anti-virus programs.

Computer Associates International Inc. said Tuesday its new software
protects computer users by blocking certain types of computer files
commonly attached to e-mails by virus writers. An associated program
monitors a computer's e-mail application, alerting users when
suspicious activity is detected.

An e-mail virus is typically concealed in an attachment, unable to
attack unless the file is opened by the recipient.

Much like a recent modification to Outlook by Microsoft, the new
product from Computer Associates will force a user to take an extra
step to open a suspicious attachment with a program other than the
e-mail software.

The presumption behind these strategies is that people can be more
easily lured into opening a malicious program when all it takes is a
few keystrokes or clicks to satisfy their curiosity about a mysterious
e-mail.


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"Communications without intelligence is noise;
Intelligence without communications is irrelevant."
Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
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