Valentine Computer Virus

News Release From: BBB---Warning of Valentine Computer Virus EVANSVILLE, IN (February 13, 2008)— The Better Business Bureau is warning Tri-State residents to be on the lookout for potentially damaging Valentine’s Day e-mails. The FBI issued a warning for people to be on guard for Valentine greetings that may contain the Storm Worm virus. The BBB is particularly concerned because many people may be willing to open e-mails and click on links, believing they are from secret admirers they don’t know. The e-mail directs the recipient to click on a link to retrieve the electronic greeting card (e-card). Once the user clicks on the link, malware is downloaded to the Internet connected device and causes it to become infected and part of the Storm Worm botnet. A botnet is a network of compromised machines under the control of a single user. Botnets are typically set up to facilitate criminal activity such as spam e-mail, identity theft, denial of service attacks, and spreading malware to other machines on the Internet. The Storm Worm virus has capitalized on various holidays in the last year by sending millions of e-mails advertising an e-card link within the text of the spam e-mail. Valentines Day has been identified as the next target. Be wary of any e-mail received from an unknown sender. Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and do not click on any links provided. If you have received this e-mail, the FBI and Internet Crime Complaint Center asks that you file a complaint at www.ic3.gov