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To: Stoctrash who wrote (25195)	6/11/1999 1:19:00 PM
From: Chip McVickar	Respond to of 44573

NEW VIRUS Antivirus makers warn of e-mail 'worm' By Tamara E. Holmes, USATODAY.com A virus-like program is spreading rapidly over the Internet via e-mail, antivirus software makers warned Thursday. The program, classified as a "worm" rather than a virus because it lacks a virus' advanced replication capabilities, disguises itself as a reply to an e-mail message already sent by a computer user. For example, if a computer user sends an e-mail message with the subject line "lunch tomorrow?" to a computer user whose system is infected with the virus, the infected computer will automatically send back a response with the subject line "Re: lunch tomorrow?" The message will include an infected attachment and instruct the recipient to open it. The fact that the worm, known as "Explore.Zip," hides itself in a message that a user is already expecting makes it harder to detect. "Virus writers are no longer unsophisticated," says Wes Wasson, director of security product marketing for Network Associates, maker of the antivirus program VirusScan. "The lines are blurring between viruses and hack attempts." When the computer user opens the attachment, called zipped_files.exe, the worm will try to overwrite some of the user's files, including those written in Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint. If the PC user has Microsoft Outlook or Exchange, the programs will automatically respond to any e-mail messages that are sent to the infected user, continuing the chain of infection. While it's widely known that PC users should not open e-mail attachments from unidentified sources, an attachment sent by someone who is trusted poses a new dilemma for antivirus companies. Wasson says the e-mail message's familiarity helps it to spread faster. He also warns that as in the case of the famed Melissa virus, which infected thousands of e-mail servers in late March, copycats might try to produce their own versions of this latest worm in the next few days. Several antivirus companies are offering a download for detecting and destroying Explore.Zip. Network Associates is offering its Internet virus protection service McAfee Clinic (www.mcafee.com) for free until July. Users can download a plug-in, and their PCs will be scanned for viruses -- including Explore.Zip -- automtically when they are online. Data Security provider Data Fellows is offering an update at www.datafellows.com/. Symantec Corp. has posted an update to its Norton AntiVirus software at www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/worm.explore.zip.html -------------------------------------------------------------------