Blackworm is a nasty internet worm which can delete DOC, XLS,
MDE, MDB, PPT, PPS, RAR, PDF, PSD, DMP, and ZIP files. In
addition to Blackworm, the worm has been named Kama Sutra,
Blackmal, MyWife and Nyxem. This worm started on the 3rd of
February and has been programmed to attack an infected computer
on the 3rd of every month thereafter. So far it has been
estimated that over 300,000 computers all over the world have
been infected. Besides destroying those types of files, the worm
also tries to disable anti-virus software so that it stops
updating. It can also disable the keyboard and mouse of infected
computers. Some Internet users have already lost important files
after becoming infected by the Blackworm mainly because the
clock time on their computer was wrong.
Like many Internet worms, Blackworm attempts to spread by
mailing itself to contacts in a user’s address book. The e-mails
containing the worm can have a wide variety of subject fields
and attachment names. The worm also tries to add itself to the
auto-start programs in the Windows registy. Once a computer in a
network has been infected, Blackworm will try to infect all
other systems in the network.
To prevent getting infected by Blackworm you shouldn’t open
attachments or click on Web links within these e-mails,
especially if these e-mails have a porn-related subject line.
Use caution before opening any e-mail attachments, even if you
know the sender. You should also backup any important files that
you want to preserve. Most antivirus products will detect
Blackworm assuming the worm hasn’t disabled the antivirus
software. Because of this, it is important to frequently update
your antivirus software. It is also recommended to scan your
computer for viruses and use a firewall. To prevent the worm
from spreading to other computers in a network, you should use
strong passwords on all the users accounts.