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Computer users weather 'Killer Resume' virus
From: William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:33:12 -0500
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. *-------------------------------------------------* "Communications without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communications is irrelevant." Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC --------------------------------------------------- C4I Secure Solutions http://www.c4i.org *-------------------------------------------------* ISN is sponsored by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of "SIGNOFF ISN".
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- Computer users weather 'Killer Resume' virus William Knowles (May 30)