I've already received this virus/worm from Forward Look Frank, R Thomason, Mopar Mel, and Sharleen. (I must have been in their address books.) PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO UPDATE YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS NOW, BEFORE READING ANY FURTHER EMAILS, especially if you are using Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. -Dave http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011126/wr/tech_internet_worm_dc_1.html Type-Tracking Internet Worm Spreading - Experts SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An Internet worm that leaves infected computers vulnerable to future hacking by tracking what is typed on the keyboard, including passwords and credit card details, was spreading rapidly on Monday, computer security companies warned. The worm, called ``Badtrans,'' spreads through Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail programs and automatically sends itself to unanswered e-mails in inboxes, according to several antivirus companies. The attachment, which contains the malicious program, can be executed simply by reading or previewing it and doesn't need to be double clicked or opened separately, experts said. The worm contains a keystroke logger which can be used to record what people type to obtain passwords and credit card numbers, they said. ``It does no damage to files but does drop a backdoor trojan on the machine which would allow a hacker to come back and access personal information,'' said April Goostree, virus research manager at McAfee.com. While corporate e-mail gateways are blocking the worm, many home and small office computer users who aren't up-to-date on their antivirus software are getting infected, she said. The subject line varies, often assuming the text of the unanswered e-mail whose e-mail address it co-opts. The name of the attachment varies as well, with suffixes including .doc, .pics and .news. The worm, a variant of one discovered in April, has hit at least 50 countries, with most infections in Germany, followed by the UK and United States, said UK-based MessageLabs, which reported receiving 400 copies an hour this weekend.
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