WASHINGTON – A new and dangerous computer virus dubbed “Killer Resume” is
spreading through e-mail systems using the Microsoft Outlook program, the
FBI said. Computer security companies reported that several corporate e-mail
systems had already been infected, and some shut down as a result, the FBI’s
National Infrastructure Protection Center said Friday night.
The virus is known as the “Killer Resume” because it arrives pretending to
be a resume from a potential job applicant, the anti-virus company Network
Associates said on their Web site. The virus is carried in a file attached
to an e-mail with the subject “Resume – Janet Simons.” Another computer
security company, Symantec Corp. of Cupertino, Calif., had received nine
reports early Saturday of infected computers, including two from U.S.
corporations.
The Killer Resume virus is similar to the “Melissa” virus that clogged
e-mail system around the world in March 1999 because both spread using an
attached Microsoft Word file. The document used by Killer Resume is called
“EXPLORER.DOC” or “RESUME.DOC,” the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Network
Associates said.
When someone opens the Word file, the virus first spreads itself by sending
an e-mail to everyone in the user’s Microsoft Outlook address book. It then
makes that person’s computer inoperable by deleting important files. While
only Outlook users can spread the virus, any person with a computer running
the Windows operating system who opens the infected Word document can have
their files erased.
The FBI advised computer users not to open any e-mail with the “Resume –
Janet Simons” subject line, to deactivate the executive summary feature in
Outlook, and then delete the e-mail without opening it. Both Symantec and
Network Associates had posted updates to their anti-virus software to stop
Killer Resume on their Web sites Friday. Computer users can also protect
themselves by disabling the “macro” feature of their Word programs.
Microsoft has been developing an update to make their e-mail software more
secure.
The anti-virus firms said the body of Killer Resume e-mail reads:
To Director of Sales/Marketing,
Attached is my resume with a list of references contained within. Please
feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any further questions regarding
my experience. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Janet Simons.
Earlier this month, the “Love Bug” virus spread quickly, reaching millions
by seducing recipients with a love letter purportedly from a friend. Once
news spread of the threat, infected e-mails were easily detected and
deleted. Estimates of the damage caused by that virus range up to $10
billion, mostly in lost work time.
