BBC News Online: Sci/Tech

New virus strikes computers

Called the "naked wife" virus, the programme deletes almost all of a computer's vital system files.

It also sends itself to everyone in the computer's address book.

The virus' capacity to spread so quickly by using address books is similar to earlier viruses, such as Love Letter and Melissa.

Inviting

It has been dubbed the "naked wife" virus because it appears with the subject line: "FW: Naked Wife".

Just like an earlier virus that used the name of tennis star Anna Kournikova, the inviting subject line encourages recipients to open the email.

But those that click on to an attached file, called "Naked Wife.exe", will only encounter a short cartoon followed by a vulgar message, signed by "BGK (Bill Gates Killer)."

Like most viruses, the recipient's computer is only infected if the receiver opens the attachment.

Companies hit

Security experts say that the virus has already hit 30 organisations and one federal agency.

Steve Trilling, director of research at the Symantec Antivirus Research Center, said about 20 of its clients in Canada, the US and Europe had been hit.

"It essentially destroys your Windows operating system," he added.

Susan Orbach, a spokeswoman for Trend Micro, said her company has received reports of infections from 10 corporate clients, including two large telecommunications firms, a federal agency and a "multinational conglomerate".

"This is not any new technology we haven't seen before," Ms Orbach said.

"It's social engineering to take advantage of our baser instincts."