|
PureBytes Links
Trading Reference Links
|
How to protect yourself against Melissa
March 29, 1999 Web posted at: 3:25 p.m. EST (2025 GMT)
by Stan Miastkowski
(IDG) -- Whether you call it "Melissa" or "Mailissa,"
it's becoming clear that this PC virus--or worm-is the most widespread
we've seen to date. According to antivirus researchers, Melissa first
appeared Friday in a sexually oriented newsgroup, and was (it seemed)
everywhere on the Internet in a matter of hours.
Melissa is a Microsoft Word macro virus that infects
your PC as soon as you open its e-mail attachment. Because it grabs
names from Microsoft Outlook address books and resends itself, it has
the potential of causing a domino effort of cascading e-mail messages
that can bring even the largest mail servers to their knees. Some
companies have shut down their outgoing mail in response.
Companies that make antivirus software spent a busy
weekend coming up with updates that detect and remove Melissa.
Protect yourself
Although Melissa is one of the most "successful"
viruses ever, you don't have to be a victim.
Melissa messages come with a subject header that
starts "Important Message From," followed by a name. The name may be a
familiar one to you, especially if it pulled your address from a
computer of a friend or business associate.
The message text says, "Here is the document you asked
for ... don't show anyone else ;-)." If you open the
attachment, your PC will be infected. If you delete it, you're safe. And
if you don't use Microsoft Word 97 (or the prerelease version of Word
2000), breath a sigh of relief: Melissa can't infect your computer.
If you use Word 97 or Word 2000, but don't use
Microsoft Outlook, Melissa can't grab your e-mail addresses and
propagate itself. But it can still infect your computer, and while it
doesn't appear to do more than send out more such messages, its other
potential effects aren't completely understood yet.
It's not yet clear whether Melissa can get e-mail
addresses from Outlook Express.
One particularly troubling possibility (not yet
confirmed) is that the virus may randomly send your own Word documents
to others. And it doesn't take much thinking to consider the trouble
that could cause.
Taking other steps
Whether you have antivirus software on your PC, you
can disable automatic macro execution in Word 97. Select Tools, Options,
General and make sure the "macro virus protection" box is checked.
All major antivirus software companies have updates
that handle Melissa. If you are running antivirus software, you should
update it immediately. (Direct update links for major makers are at
right.)
If you don't have antivirus software, consider
downloading the free trial software offered by many companies.
To make sure that your PC hasn't been infected by
Melissa, go the Trend Micro's HouseCall site, which will perform a virus
check on your PC via the Internet.
|