DAILY- HOMILY

Subject: Spyware Weekly Newsletter :: Special Edition

Special Edition

The Kama Sutra worm, which has numerous aliases, is set to deliver its
first destructive payload TOMORROW (February 3). This worm is believed
to have infected anywhere from 200,000 to 700,000 computers worldwide.

The worm is programmed to destroy numerous antivirus program files and
Microsoft Office document files, thirty minutes after an infected
machine is powered up, on the third day of each month.

Microsoft has included detection for this worm in its Malicious
Software Removal Tool. However, Microsoft is withholding that update
from all but paying members of their "Windows Live Safety" and
"OneCare" beta services. Microsoft refuses to release the update to the
general public, before their regularly scheduled general update, on
February 14th. I will have plenty to say about that in tomorrow's
newsletter, believe me.

Whether you believe that you are infected or not, you should take
precautionary steps now, just in case. Any documents created by
Microsoft Office as well as .rar and .zip archives should be backed up
and stored on separate, removable storage, such as a CD or DVD. Files
and documents of this type will be corrupted beyond repair on infected
machines.

Symantec has released a free tool that will remove the virus. Download
the tool and run it, even if you are certain that you are not infected.
It is a very small file and you have nothing to lose by running it. You
don't want to be wrong and lose your boss's spreadsheets, now do you?
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blackmal@mm.removal.tool.html

If you already have an antivirus program, make certain it is updated
and run a full scan of your computer.

The regular Spyware Weekly Newsletter should be released sometime
tomorrow
(Friday).

Fr. Rick
DAILY-HOMILY MODERATOR

# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 4:50 AM