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Major Virus Outbreak Alert
from Trend Micro – VBS_LOVELETTER Hits Users Worldwide
Free on-line scanning
service, HouseCall, allows users to clean their systems –
Trend Micro customers can update their protection now
Cupertino, CA - 4 May 2000 -
Trend Micro (Nasdaq:TMIC), a leading provider of Internet
content security, announced that protection for a new and
quickly spreading VB Script "worm" type virus
VBS_LOVELETTER is available now.
Trend Micro first detected
this early this morning European time and had a solution
available within 15 minutes. During a two-hour period
several hundred phone calls were received from major
European customers within Government, industry and trade
including ISPs, infected with the new virus.
Trend Micro customers are
strongly recommended to update their virus protection
software with a new emergency virus update pattern update
number 693 as follows:
1. Download pattern 693 from http://www.trend.com/pc-cillin/pattern.asp
2. Ensure that both in and outbound mail is scanned
3. Proceed with manual scan to clean up any affected mail
servers, PCs and file servers.
It is recommended that
non-customers download an evaluation copy of ScanMail plus
pattern update 693 to install and clean mail/groupware
servers.
Trend Micro is currently
updating its free on-line scanning service, HouseCall, at http://housecall.antivirus.com.
Concerned users who are not currently using Trend Micro
software can take advantage of this free on-line service to
ensure that their systems are not infected. Trend Micro
expects to have HouseCall updated shortly.
About VBS_LOVELETTER
This computer worm, once executed will modify the registry
and will drop files for it to spread. It replicates using
Microsoft Outlook by sending an email with an attachment
file "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs" to ALL email
addresses listed in the address list. It will also propagate
using mIRC by modifying the "script.ini". After
connecting to a chat server using mIRC, the virus will
initiate a dcc send to all the users in the current channel
and send a copy of itself. It has also the capability to
infect files with specific extensions
How to reduce risk of
infection
Trend Micro cautions users to be wary of opening email
attachment with the subject line reading "ILOVEYOU"
with a phrase in the message body reading "kindly check
the attached LOVE LETTER coming from me" - even if they
recognize the name of the person sending the message, since
this is how the virus is spread. Savvy users can create a
rule in Outlook to delete emails with the mentioned text in
the subject line or the body of the message.
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro provides centrally controlled server-based virus
protection and content-filtering products and services. By
protecting information that flows through Internet gateways,
email servers, and file servers, Trend Micro allows
companies worldwide to stop viruses and other malicious code
from a central point before they ever reach the desktop.
Trend Micro's corporate
headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan, with business units
in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Trend Micro's European headquarters is located in
Maidenhead, England. Trend Micro's products are sold through
a network of corporate, value-added resellers. Evaluation
copies of all of Trend Micro's products may be downloaded
from its awarding winning web site, http://www.pc-cillin.com.
Web site visitors may also test-drive products online
through Trend Micro's Virtual Lab.
For Additional Information
Sandi Morgenthaler
Trend Micro, Inc.
Tel: 408-863-6361
sandi_morgenthaler@trendmicro.com
or
Kristin Zoega (North/South
America)
Trend Micro, Inc.
Tel: 1-800-228-5651 ext. 6362 (U.S.)
kristin_zoega@trend.com.tw
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