Email Virus Worm Alert

Another worm alert. Experts say an e-mail computer virus that lets hackers have remote control over infected machines is the most severe attack this year. And it´s continuing to spread.

The worm is known as W32.Bugbear, or IWormTanatos. It infects computers that use Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. The virus has spread to dozens of countries since being discovered last week. The worm replicates itself through a Windows machine’s E-mail address book. It can attach itself to previously sent e-mail messages and can spread through network systems, allowing hackers to intercept passwords and gain access to computers over the Internet. Once a machine is infected, a hacker could steal and delete information from it. Some subject lines for the e-mail are “bad news,” “Membership Confirmation,” “Market Update Report,” and “Your Gift.”