In the past, computer viruses were likely to shred electronic data, and maybe your sense of pride. This time, it's personal, say psychologists. You might even wind up feeling like a jilted lover. Then we get slammed. It's a shocking experience, and I think people are still walking around processing what happened.
Experts note other messages carrying the virus also play strongly on the emotions.
Former hacker Kevin Mitnick said it's kind of new for a virus to use psychological tricks. Mitnick said that social engineering can be so potent that often, to break into computer systems, he never needed to write a line of code, and the e-mails' enticing subject lines certainly contributed to the viruses' quick spread. Everyone would be interested in getting some sort of love letter. Carl Mumpower, a psychologist from Asheville, N.C., who specializes in relationships, believes that similar motivations may have driven the virus writer and his victims in this case. I've been here.