I just received this email from a very reliable source ... one who usually warns me way ahead of time.  As always, some of you, already have been apprised and have warned others.

Here is the notice:

A new virus is being mass e-mailed across the internet called the >W32.Apost.Worm@mm virus.

W32.Apost.Worm@mm is a Visual Basic worm which spreads through email.  The worm requires Microsoft Visual Basic Runtime Libraries to replicate.  The worm will then spread itself to all persons in your address book.

The message that it sends will be as follows:
Subject:    As per your request!
Body:       Please find attached file for your review.
          I look forward to hear from you again very soon. Thank you.
Attachment: readme.exe

DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY!  It will infect your system.  However, if you open the attachment your system will be infected and will spread to all persons in your address book.

As always, do not open email attachments from unknown sources.

REF: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

should protect against it.  I recommend Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2001.  It costs $40 and scans e-mail as you download it, before recognized viruses can cause trouble.  (You need to keep your virus definitions current, of course.)

Only attachments containing executable code are dangerous.  (This includes Word documents which can contain macros.) Text files (with the .txt extension) are ALWAYS safe to open.

However, according to the July issue of PC World there is a bug in Internet Explorer that allows file extensions to be faked.  The extension that you see may not be the real extension.  For now, if you right-click the name of a file you receive in an e-mail message and choose Properties, a dialog box will display the file's true type. If the item looks like file.txt but Properties tells you that it's really file.hta, delete the e-mail immediately.

Dear Mathesar,
Is this virus a "subsidiary" of another?

Although this (update) came to me from someone in a high tech field, as always there is some brain with an update (so as in life!) in this case you. I will pass this info back and I thank you on that party's behalf!  

Personally, I use mail2web.com so I don't have to download emails, or client screening info. onto my harddrive.  Multiple advantages. Additionally, doing things this way has saved my A** from viruses (more accurately stated, my harddrive from viruses or cyberstd's) on at least 3 occasions.  That's just fine with me D

Anyhow, my "blonde" brain doesn't really want to think about this. This high tech stuff I leave to the brains like you, who impress ladies like myself.  Ahhh,  we put ourselves into your hands.  (unless you are one of the evil breed of wicked webmasters!!!)

xoxo and kudos to you Mathesar.

xoxo
FF





-- Modified on 9/6/2001 7:56:07 PM

Hello Felicia, you had me worried for a while there.  At first  I believed the threat was very real, but then I realzed I have protection protecting me from the little critters you spoke of.  It was nice chatting with you the other day, and inside the package you would find "protection", amongst other things I spoke about.

Neutrogena

A note on file extensions....as the i love you virus taught so many, the file extension referes only to the last three letters on the file...I love you used a double extension to fool people into thinking it was a text or picture file.  If it says .exe, .bat, .dll, .vbs at the end, look out!

However, virus checkers like Norton 2002 will check the attachment before you open it.