Valentine's Day Storm

The FBI is warning Internet users about the Storm virus, which first emerged over a year ago. Storm spreads through email links that purport to be from an online greeting card or by way of a virus-filled attachment. When the user clicks on the link or opens the attachment, s/he receives a virus that automatically installs itself.

Storm is not the first virus to take advantage of those hopeful for romance. The ILOVEYOU worm, which emerged in 2000, promised users a love letter in an attachmentl. In reality, the worm sent thousands of emails to other users, crippling mail servers, and overwriting files on computers. It was ultimately estimated to have caused $5.5 billion in damages.

Always beware of opening any .pps or .exe file sent to you in an email. If you were not expecting it, email the person who sent it to you and ask them. Your email may be the one that alerts them they have a virus on their computer. If you receive an email with a link, highlight the link and view selection source. If the source code does not match up with the proper website, delete the email.

May your Valentine's Day be a happy one.

Tags: valentine's day virus, storm virus, ILOVEYOU virus