The virus - a Microsoft Word macro dubbed Melissa - replicates in two ways: by copying itself into Word documents via their underlying template, and by sending itself to fifty addresses from each user's Outlook address book.
A reply email is automatically sent containing the virus but the email is cleverly disguised as a genuine message from the sender. Unlike Melissa, the Worm.ExporeZip virus is malicious and could delete Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents...
Upon execution, it displays a message box with a picture. Users of Napster rival Gnutella are being exposed to a worm that is threatening to infect their machines after gaining entry disguised as a song file.
Always check the recipient box of the email you are about to send - are there any recipients that you may have included by mistake? Look at the attachment and the name of it, especially if it's something that could carry a virus such as .exe, .doc...
To help yourself, automatically create an entry in your calendar or task list from an email that requires subsequent action. Use the ‘rules’ function in the email software to sort existing and new incoming mail automatically into folders.
There are one or two older macro viruses for Word for Windows that could modify a user's documents. One of the widgets, he said, will automatically install itself on users' desktops when his 'Zaptastic' website is visited using the Mac's default...