If you are using Outlook for your E-mails, you should be aware of a new virus which comes as an email with quite an innocuous title ‘ Homepage’ and the message ‘Hi! You have to see this page. It's really cool ;o)’. If you receive any such e-mail, DO NOT download attached file ‘Homepage.html.vbs’, which is in fact a malicious Visual Basic script that opens one of four pornographic Web pages on your PC. If you are using Outlook, the worm then emails a copy of itself to everybody in the address book.

This worm is of special concern, because it was created with a Visual Basic Script worm generator (this means making viruses is getting easier and easier), also it is spreading so fast that the sheer volume of email generated is going to slow down mail servers around the world. Expect the virus to spread further and faster as the US wakes up later today.

Outlook is especially vulnerable to many worms and viruses, which use its ability to access Web pages, run VBScript commands and send mail automatically. In the new MS Office XP, due for imminent release the new version of Outlook will notify users before it sends any email automatically, hopefully this will minimalise the spread of malicious viruses.

Remember always surf safely and use a Virus Check application on all but the most trusted downloads. As an added precaution, ensure all work is always safely backed up to floppy disk.

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