WP: Friday Is D-Day for Computer Worm

[DeepModem Mom]

Friday Is D-Day for Computer Worm
'Nyxem' Variant Poised to Delete Files on Infected PCs
By Brian Krebs
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 1, 2006


A computer worm that infiltrated hundreds of thousands of PCs last month is expected to awaken Friday, destroying documents and files on infected machines and networks, Microsoft and computer security experts warn.

The worm, variously named "Nyxem.D," "MyWife.E," "Blackmal.E," and the "Kama Sutra worm" by different antivirus companies, is a ticking time bomb that on the third day of each month will seek out and delete a wide range of file types found on infected Windows computers, including any Adobe PDF files and Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents, among others.

The worm, which began appearing in e-mail inboxes around Jan. 17, arrives as an attachment disguised as explicit photos. Microsoft Windows users who open the file will infect their machines and cause the worm to spread.

Microsoft advises customers who believe their computers may be infected with this worm to scan their PCs with up-to-date antivirus software or run a "protection scan" at the company's Windows Live Safety Center Web site.

Experts at the SANS Internet Storm Center in Bethesda estimate that at least 300,000 computers worldwide have been infected by the worm, with the majority of infections found on computers in India, Peru and Turkey....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020101324.html