Information on Recent
Viruses and Trojan Programs

These pages provide information on how to detect and remove some recent viruses and Trojan programs which are spread through e-mail. Please note that most viruses require some action on the recipient's part to infect the system. You can protect yourself against most viruses by following these guidelines:

• Don't run any programs on your system unless you know they are from a trusted source.
• Don't open any attachments, especially Microsoft Word or Excel documents, unless you know they are from a trusted source.
• Make sure that you have enabled "Macro virus checking" in both Microsoft Word and Excel.
• If Word or Excel warns you that a document contains macros, be absolutely certain that you can trust the file before proceeding. While macros do have a legitimate use, most people never use them and the macros seem to serve more often to carry viruses. Observe this warning and avoid opening the document -- it may be your last chance to save your system from infection.
• Install a good anti-virus package and make sure you install updates as often as they are available.

Nimda worm

Code Red worm

SADMIND/Poison Box IIS worm

W32/Hybris.gen@M virus

MTX virus

Scrambler virus

Resume virus

Cybernet virus

VBS.LoveLetter.A worm

Pretty Park worm

Worm.ExploreZip

The happy99 Trojan program

The Melissa Word macro virus

Several variants and other viruses have surfaced recently. In general, the rules listed above apply to those, as well.

Please see the Personal Computing Support Center's Virus Protection page for additional information about computer viruses, virus protection, and computer virus hoaxes.