A worm called Little Davinia has created havoc by burrowing its way into networks and tricking victims into downloading an executable file through a web page which then overwrites all locally stored data as well as files on network drives.

This worm used a sophisticated combination of HTML, Visual Basic, Macros and e-mail to initiate the attack and only affected users with Word 2000 installed.

The worm was spread by e-mail and then attempts to download this executable file which is then sent to all entries contained within a users address book and then attempts to overwrite the content of that users hard drive.

Symantec's Antivirus Research Centre (SARC) report to have halted the virus, however this is too late for at least four European organisations. A webpage that is said to have stored the virus and on which it was dependent on, has now been destroyed.

The virus is thought to have been created by a Spaniard using the handle Onel 2 who is thought to be a sophisticated virus writer.