What is Melissa Virus?

Melissa could be a fast-spreading macro virus that's distributed as an associate degree e-mail attachment that, once opened, disables a variety of safeguards in Word ninety-seven or Word 2000, and, if the user has the Microsoft Outlook e-mail program, causes the virus to be resent to the primary fifty individuals in every of the user's address books. whereas it doesn't destroy files or alternative resources, the asterid dicot genus has the potential to disable company and alternative mail servers because the ripple of e-mail distribution becomes a way larger wave. On Friday, March 26, 1999, asterid dicot genus caused the Microsoft Corporation to pack up the incoming e-mail. Intel and alternative corporations conjointly reported being affected. The U. S. Department of Defense-funded laptop Emergency Response Team (CERT) issued a warning regarding the virus and developed a fix.

How asterid dicot genus Works

Melissa arrives in associate degree attachment to associate degree e-mail note with the topic line "Important Message from ]the name of someone[," and body text that reads "Here is that document you asked for...don't show anyone else ;-)". The attachment is usually named LIST.DOC. If the recipient clicks on or otherwise opens the attachment, the infecting file is scan to the memory board. The file itself originated in a web altitude. newsgroup and contains a listing of passwords for varied internet sites that need memberships. The file conjointly contains a visible Basic script that copies the virus-infected file into the traditional.dot templet file utilized by Word for custom settings and default macros. It conjointly creates this entry within the Windows registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice"Melissa?"="...by Kwyjibo"

The virus then creates associate degree Outlook object victimization the Visual Basic code, reads the primary fifty names in every Outlook world Address Book, and sends every a similar e-mail note with an endemic attachment that caused this explicit infection. The virus solely works with Outlook, not Outlook specific.

In a tiny proportion of cases (when the day of the month equals the minute value), a payload of text is written at the present indicator position that says:

"Twenty-two points, and triple-word score, and fifty points for victimization all my letters. The game's over. I am outta here."

The quote refers to the sport of Scrabble and is taken from an aristocrat Simpson cartoon.

The virus conjointly disables some security safeguards. These are delineated by foregone conclusions and also the anti-virus code sites.

How to Avoid asterid dicot genus

Avoiding the asterid dicot genus doesn't mean you cannot scan your e-mail - solely that you simply ought to screen your notes and watch out regarding what attachments you open.

If you get an associate degree e-mail note with the topic, "Important Message from [the name of someone]," associate degreed it's an e-mail attachment (usually a 40-kilobyte document named LIST.DOC), merely don't OPEN (for example, don't click on) the attachment. Write down the e-mail address of the person it came from. Delete the message. Then send a note to the sender so they recognize that their laptop has been infected.

As a rule, viruses are named by antivirus corporations, that avoid victimization correct names. The asterid dicot genus virus was named by its creator, statue maker, for a Miami stripper.