Computer programmes wiped out by 'naked wife' e-mail virus


New Internet wrecker targets Windows software with pornographic lure hook

BY DAMIAN WHITWORTH
WASHINGTON - A computer virus which promises a peek at a "naked wife'' but in reality disables systems has hit dozens of firms in America and Europe as was spreading through e-mail yesterday.

The companies, and at least one federal agency, were hit by the virus which wipes out Windows applications and appears to have originated in Brazil. The virus is contained in what appears to be an e-mail labelled "naked wife". When the message is opened a short cartoon plays, followed by a crude message signed "BGK (Bill Gates Killer)''.

The virus deletes Windows files on the computer and sends itself out to everyone in the user's e-mail address book. Computer experts said that the attachment should not be opened and the e-mail should be deleted immediately.

Steve Trilling, director of research at the Symantec Antivirus Research Centre, an American anti-virus company, said: "It essentially destroys your Windows operating system." He said that companies in America and Europe had been hit. Information inside the virus mentions a Brazilian insurance company.

Susan Orbach, spokeswoman for Trend Micro, another anti-virus company, said: "This is not any new technology we haven't seen before. It's social engineering to take advantage of our baser instincts."

The "naked wife" virus is more damaging than the recent one named after the tennis star Anna Kournikova. It wipes out hard drive files requiring reinstallation of operating systems. It is not expected to be as widespread as last year's "I love you'' virus which overwhelmed e-mail systems around the world causing tens of millions of dollars of damage. It entered 45 million computers last May, infiltrating just about every organisation from Parliament to the Pentagon. It also eclipsed the previous year's "Melissa" virus as the fastest-spreading.

Increased awareness of viruses has helped limit their spread but experts said that computer users continue to click on to suspicious attachments, no matter how many times they had been stung, and even when they had received an alert about a virus. "Haven't people learned?" Ms Orbach added.

Experts estimate that each virus scare has a life of up to three months, during which time computer users are on the look-out for trouble. After that they become careless and click on attachments that they were not expecting.

Police investigating the "I love you" virus were led to Onel de Guzman, a Filipino computer school dropout, after extremely heavy data traffic was traced to his sister's home computer. Charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence. Mr Guzman did not admit that the bug that created so much chaos was his but added: "I admit I create viruses, but I don't know if it's one of mine."

A 20-year-old Dutchman who created last month's Anna Kournikova virus has been offered a job by the mayor of his home town of Sneek in the northern Netherlands. The student, who called himself "OnTheFly" but who has not been named, turned himself into police and apologised for the chaos he had caused. A decision has yet to be taken on whether to charge him with any offence.

The mayor's office said: "It is obvious that the young man is very capable and it is in our interest to employ people like him in our information technology department."

© The Times, London