Hopefully I didn't hit any of you! Multitasking comes at a price - while in the middle of something - I received an email with a .vbs attachment - I KNOW better - but I was so excited to hear from a friend I hadn't heard from in months I opened it - and immediately realized my mistake. It's a worm virus and immediately went thru my entire contact list.

The email is titled: here you have,; o) the attachment is titled: annakournikova.jpg.vbs

If you get this PLEASE delete it and then delete your "deleted files". And, I might sheepishly recommend you update your dat files in your virus software.

Best thing to do of course is to simply not use MS Outlook/Outlook Express or whatever mailers that run Visual Basic. I use Pegasus.

This baby just ran through our corporate email system this afternoon. It's funny how nonchalant I've become about watching my email inbox instantaneously fill with 150-200 emails!

I just create a rule that permanently deletes all messages with the offending subject and go back to work.

FWIW, in Outlook, make sure you turn off the preview pane. The preview pane opens the message and allows the virus to do its thing. Also, put in filter to delete all .VBS attachments as well.

This from Symantec:

VBS.SST@mm
Discovered on: February 12, 2001
Last Updated on: February 12, 2001 at 10:10:59 AM PST


The Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC) has confirmed a new mass-mailing worm. SARC is currently analyzing the worm. The worm is being reported in an attachment named ANNAKOURNIKOVA.JPEG.VBS. SARC recommends that you filter attachments with a VBS extension if you have not already done so.

Sorry to hear this and I just posted this in OMNI too - but a bit late!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/001617.html

PAM! ... I'm insulted I didn't get this from you because it means I'm not in your address book

Beckles: Funny, that's not how the hundreds of folks who DID get it felt

I failed the stupid test twice - once for failing to reload my virus software immediately ( I had uninstalled it due to some conflicts I was having).. and twice for opening a file I knew not to open - bad day for Pamibeth.

terenz: Many people do not have a choice about this, as their companies force them to use Outlook or Outlook Express.

Good thing I see this here... Im a sucker for Anita (SIGH) so I would definetely have fallen for this...

Don't feel too bad about getting stuck with it as there was NO virus screen available until earlier today. These things pop up faster than inoculations can be discovered and developed. An inoculation is only good for the ones that are known. At least it appears to be relatively harmless.

Same thing happened to me...got an email from someone I haven't heard from in a long time. I opened it, but so far my computer seems to be none the worse for wear. I deleted the email and the downloaded virus. I immediately called local friends who were on my email address book and told them to delete any emails from me.

I wouldn't feel too badly about it!

Within a few hours, the virus had managed to spread almost as rapidly as last May's ``I Love You'' virus, which caused tens of millions of dollars in damages worldwide. Anti-virus researchers expected more computer infections during Tuesday's business day in Asia.

``Everybody and their brother and sister in law (are) infected with this thing,'' said David Perry, director of public education at Trend Micro Inc. ``Last year, everybody wanted to be loved. Apparently many people want to see a JPEG (picture) of Anna Kournikova.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/tech...tar-Virus.html

Amen to that. I've used Pegasus for years and it is much, much better than the MS products. dgolds rightly notes that some companies demand MS Outlook or OE. Maybe after such a virus wreaks havoc is the time to suggest an alternative. (I have no stake in Pegasus, just really like it. It's not without its annoyances, but it is so much better than the MS products imo).



[This message has been edited by cblaisd (edited 02-12-2001).]

This virus showed up in my home e-mail account this morning...fortunately there were also several e-mails warning against it before I could open it!

If the virus writers really wanted to wreak havoc, they'd use a fake message header warning about virii.

FWIW, David Harris, the developer of Pegasus, has kept the product as freeware. He only requests you buy the manual ($20) if you find it useful. I've actually done that. Other than using Pegasus since I started using the internet at home (1995 or so), I've got no stake in it.

I stupidly opened it, too, from someone who always requests a receipt..I should have known better. Let's hope it's as harmless as it seems.