But it did cause many companies and organizations to temporarily disable their e-mail systems so that they could be shored up against the new assault. I can see some product liability suits coming. The program grabs the name of the file most recently used by the victim and sends it out in a new flurry of mail. It tends to kill the host. The FBI, which is seeking to decode the virus and identify its sender, believes the new virus originated largely in the United States, unlike the Love Bug virus launched in the Philippines.
Viruses are an industrywide problem, and they can attack any platform at any time.
Users of other programs which have gone largely unaffected by the viral onslaught indulged in a little gloating Friday over the continuing woes of Microsoft customers.