An email computer virus shut down servers across the internet Friday, and is likely to cause further problems on Monday. The Melissa virus comes in the form of an email message with the title Important Message From and has a Word file attachment. In the body of the message are the words: Here’s the document you asked for. Don’t show it to anyone else.
Once opened, the file, which contains a list of pornographic web sites, creates an entry in the registry, disables macro security, reads the personal address book and sends the file on to the first fifty addresses.
Microsoft Corp and Lucent Technologies Inc were both reported to have experienced problems due to the virus. Email software supplier Sendmail Inc and virus protection firm Network Associates Inc both immediately issued protection programs.
