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Microsoft Corp.

E-mail Virus Flaw Exposes Computers to Crash and Delete Data

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent discovery by Finnish researchers has revealed a major flaw in three popular e-mail programs made by Netscape and Microsoft, allowing hackers to send viruses that can erase computer hard drives or steal information. The flaw, which permits viruses to slip past anti-viral software, has been found in Netscape's Messenger and versions of Microsoft's Outlook Express and Outlook 98. Experts are urging computer users to upgrade their e-mail programs immediately to remove this extremely dangerous flaw.

Key Takeaways:

  • The newly discovered flaw in Netscape's Messenger and Microsoft's Outlook Express and Outlook 98 allows hackers to send viruses that can erase computer hard drives or steal information.
  • The flaw permits viruses to slip past anti-viral software, compromising the security of millions of computer users.
  • The problem has been found in versions of Microsoft's Outlook Express and Outlook 98 shipped with Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01.
  • Microsoft has released a software patch to correct the flaw, which can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/security.
  • Netscape is also working on a patch to fix the glitch, which will be available on its Web site, www.netscape.com.
  • The flaw has not been exploited so far, but experts are warning computer users to take immediate action to protect their systems.
  • A similar problem, the Year 2000 glitch (Y2K bug), is looming over many computer users, threatening to cause chaos on New Year's Day 2000.
  • The Y2K bug affects Windows-based PCs manufactured before 1995, as well as older software, and may cause computers to confuse the year 2000 with 1900.

Statistics:

  • The flaw has been found in Netscape's Messenger and Microsoft's Outlook Express and Outlook 98, affecting millions of computer users worldwide.
  • Microsoft has released a patch to download from www.microsoft.com/security, and Netscape plans to release a similar patch in the near future.
  • The Y2K bug is expected to affect Windows-based PCs manufactured before 1995, as well as older software, with an estimated 20 million computers in the US alone not being Y2K compliant.
  • The National Software Testing Labs offers a free program to test a computer's ability to advance to the year 2000 and handle leap years properly (www.nstl.com).

Sources:

  • Microsoft (www.microsoft.com/security, cited in the article)
  • Netscape (www.netscape.com, cited in the article)
  • National Software Testing Labs (www.nstl.com, cited in the article)
  • Finnish researchers (unnamed, cited in the article)
  • Various computer users (unnamed, cited in the article)

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