US firms reel as Melissa virus spreads

Corporate America was thrown into panic over the weekend by a fast-spreading computer virus that overloads email servers.

The virus - a Microsoft Word macro dubbed Melissa - replicates in two ways: by copying itself into Word documents via their underlying template, and by sending itself to fifty addresses from each user's Outlook address book.

US reports say Melissa has spread faster than any other infection known to date. The situation in the US is so critical that the FBI has got involved, sending warnings to all government and military departments.

A number of anti-virus companies have drawn up quick guides on how to deal with Melissa. The virus is contained in Word documents attached to emails entitled: 'Important message from...'. The offending emails contain the message: 'Here is that document you asked for...don't show it to anyone else'.

Network Associates, a security software specialist, has claimed the credit for discovering the virus. The company has advised firms to avoid infection by upgrading their anti-virus software. Updates can be obtained at http://www.avertlabs.com

Information about how to deal with Melissa can be found at http://www.ciac.org and http://www.cert.org/