wrote:
Reggie Smithers wrote:
JimH wrote:
==========================
The clock is ticking on a dangerous computer virus programmed to delete
millions of Word files stored on PCs when it reaches the end of its
countdown on Friday.

Experts have warned that the Blackworm virus, which has also been named
Blackmal, Nyxem, MyWife and Tearec, could destroy vast amounts of
information when it is triggered, and could send unprotected businesses into
chaos. The malicious software strikes against machines powered by
Microsoft's near-ubiquitous Windows software.

According to SANS, the US-based internet security organisation, by January
26 around 300,000 computer systems, made up of potentially millions of
individual PCs, had already been infected by the virus. The organisation
said: "This worm is different and more serious than other worms for a number
of reasons. In particular, it will overwrite a user's files on February 3."

The list of file-types that the virus will hit and delete includes the most
commonly-used formats, including Word, Powerpoint and Excel documents.
===================================

More at http://tinyurl.com/at299


Here is a removal tool. Since the worm "turns off" your antivirus
software, it makes sense for everyone to run a specific removal tool.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...oval.tool.html


--
Reggie
************************************************** *************
That's my story and I am sticking to it.

************************************************** *************

Reggie, from what I understand, if your Norton or other popular
software is up to date, it will catch it before it turns off your
anitvirus software.

Bassy,
If you were infected before your antivirus included blackmal in it's
database you could still be infected. Since no one will know until 2/3
it is a simply strategy to run the removal tool.

My wife's office was infected with a spyware worm that turned off
Norton, and you had to go in and manual deleted the start up line and
the reinstall file to get rid of the worm. The Spyware Worm would
overload your computer with so much spyware that it would slow down to a
crawl then finally freeze up. When they ran Ad-Aware there was over
3000 processes running. None of the antispyware packages were able to
removal the worm. The hardest part is the start up line was a random
generated file name, and the file it used to generated the file used a
legitimate file name installed as part of windows.

As a courtesy, they spyware worm offered to sell you a spyware package
to remove the worm.

--
Reggie
************************************************** *************
That's my story and I am sticking to it.

************************************************** *************