NIPC Alert 00-045; W97M/RESUME.A@MM
Virus
The National
Infrastructure Protection Center and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation announced that as of Friday evening, 26 May, a
new and dangerous computer virus has been identified and is reportedly
spreading through e-mail systems using Microsoft Outlook.
Anti-virus industry sources are
reporting that a number of corporate e-mail systems have already
been infected, and some shut down as a result. The virus spreads
by mailing itself to everyone in a user's address book once opened.
It also attempts to delete a number of files on the user's system.
The subject of the e-mail carrying
this virus is: "Resume - Janet Simons". NIPC recommends
that you do not open any e-mail with that subject line. Deactivate
your executive summary feature in Microsoft Outlook, and only
then delete the e-mail without opening. Patches are being prepared
by the anti-virus industry. Refer to those sources for additional
technical advice and assistance.
The upcoming long holiday weekend
poses opportunity for the spread of the virus over the next three
days, with a potentially rapid surge in activity as of opening
of business overseas on Monday and in the US on Tuesday. It also,
however, provides all users with the opportunity to identify
and remove the intruding e-mail. In passing e-mails in furtherance
of this alert, avoid using the terms in the e-mail's subject
line to prevent your message being filtered out as defenses are
erected at receiving systems.
Recipients are asked to report
significant or suspected criminal activity to their local FBI office or the NIPC Watch and Warning
Unit, and to computer emergency response support and other law
enforcement agencies as appropriate. The NIPC Watch and Warning
Unit can be reached at (202) 323-3204/3205/3206 or nipc.watch@fbi.gov.