MAIDENHEAD,  England, May 4, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --  Trend Micro
(Nasdaq: TMIC), a leading provider of Internet content security, announced that
protection for a new and quickly spreading VB Script "worm" type virus
VBS-LOVELETTER is available now.
 
Trend Micro first detected this early this morning European time and had a
solution available within 15 minutes. During a two-hour period several hundred
phone calls were received from major European customers within Government,
industry and trade including ISPs, infected with the new virus.
 
Trend Micro customers are strongly recommended to update their virus protection
software with a new emergency virus update pattern update number 693 as follows:
 
 
     1.  Download pattern 693 from www.antivirus.com/download/pattern.asp
     2.  Ensure that both in and outbound mail is scanned
     3.  Proceed with manual scan to clean up any affected mail servers, PCs
          and file servers.
 
It is recommended that non-customers download an evaluation copy of ScanMail
plus pattern update 693 to install and clean mail/groupware servers.
 
Trend Micro is currently updating its free on-line scanning service, HouseCall,
at housecall.antivirus.com . Concerned users who are not currently using
Trend Micro software can take advantage of this free on-line service to ensure
that their systems are not infected. Trend Micro expects to have HouseCall
updated shortly.
 
About VBS-LOVELETTER
 
This computer worm, once executed will modify the registry and will drop files
for it to spread. It replicates using Microsoft Outlook by sending an email with
an attachment file "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs" to ALL email addresses listed
in the address list. It will also propagate using mIRC by modifying the
"script.ini". After connecting to a chat server using mIRC, the virus will
initiate a dcc send to all the users in the current channel and send a copy of
itself. It has also the capability to infect files with specific extensions
 
How to reduce risk of infection
 
Trend Micro cautions users to be wary of opening email attachment with the
reading "ILOVEYOU" with a phrase in the message body reading "kindly check the
attached LOVE LETTER coming from me" - even if they recognise the name of the
person sending the message, since this is how the virus is spread. Savvy users
can create a rule in Outlook to delete emails with the mentioned text in the
subject line or the body of the message.
 
About Trend Micro
 
Trend Micro provides centrally controlled server-based virus protection and
content-filtering products and services. By protecting information that flows
through Internet gateways, email servers, and file servers, Trend Micro allows
companies worldwide to stop viruses and other malicious code from a central
point before they ever reach the desktop.
 
Trend Micro's corporate headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan, with business
units in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Trend Micro's
European headquarters is located in Maidenhead, England. Trend Micro's products
are sold through a network of corporate, value-added resellers. Evaluation
copies of all of Trend Micro's products may be downloaded from its awarding
winning web site, antivirus.com . Web site visitors may also
test-drive products online through Trend Micro's Virtual Lab.
 
SOURCE Trend Micro
 
 
 (C) 2000 PR Newswire.  All rights reserved.
 
 prnewswire.com
-0-
 
 CONTACT:          Europe - Donna Rennemom, +47-906-69-033, or
                   donna_rennemo@trendmicro.com, or UK - Penny Brennan, +44-1628
421693, or
                   penny_brennan@trendmicro.co.uk, both of Trend Micro
 
 
 KEYWORD:          England
 INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CPR
                   MLM
 SUBJECT CODE:     PDT
 
 URL:              housecall.antivirus.com
 
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