JDN,
Computer bug hits Europe, Asia
A computer virus first noticed in Asia spread by e-mail messages titled ''ILOVEYOU'' infected computers around the world Thursday, snarling communication from investment banks to parliaments. Experts said they were stunned by the speed and wide reach of the virus - and nobody seemed to know of an immediate cure. "It may be the most comprehensive spreading that I have seen,'' said Snorre Fagerland of the computer security company Norman in Oslo, Norway, where the virus struck an untold number of companies. The bug appeared in Hong Kong late in the afternoon, spreading throughout e-mail systems once a user opened one of the contaminated messages. It later moved into European parliamentary houses and through the high-tech systems of big companies and financial traders. The ''love bug'' also invaded some computers in the United States this morning, but there was no immediate word on the severity. ''I have to tell you that, sadly, this affectionate greeting contains a virus which has immobilized the House's internal communication system,'' said Margaret Beckett, leader of Britain's House of Commons. ''This means that no member can receive e-mails from outside, nor indeed can we communicate with each other by e-mail.'' In Asia, Dow Jones Newswires and the Asian Wall Street Journal were among the victims. The bug affected only e-mail and did not prevent Dow Jones Newswires from distributing financial information to traders. The Asian Wall Street Journal would have no problems publishing, officials there said.
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