New IIS Patch Offered
Microsoft Corp. is urging users of its Internet Information Server (IIS) software to install another patch, this time to plug three newly discovered security holes and to correct errors made in a trio of earlier patches developed for the Web server package. Separate versions of the patch can be downloaded for IIS 4.0 on systems running Windows NT 4.0 and for IIS 5.0 on Windows 2000-based servers.
Write Virus, Win Prize
Antivirus vendor GateKeeper LLC in Leesburg, Va., is launching its second virus-writing competition today. The prize: $10,000. The challenge: to get a new virus onto a decoy desktop inside the GateKeeper network, something that took three weeks to accomplish in last year's contest. While GateKeeper claims that the contest helps it develop better products, it has drawn fire from the IT and vendor community.
If It's Not One Worm ...
A worm called VBS.Hard.A@mm showed up in users' in-boxes last week disguised as a virus alert from Symantec Corp., the antivirus vendor said in a virus alert.
If a user opens the attachment www.symantec.com.vbs, the user's default Web page is changed to a fake Symantec virus information page, and the worm then sends itself to everyone in the infected PC's Outlook Express address book. However, Symantec said the worm is low risk and doesn't cause serious damage.
... It's Another
Another Visual Basic Script worm spread itself to users of Microsoft's Outlook e-mail software last week, although security analysts said most of the infections took place outside the U.S. Several antivirus software vendors posted advisories about the new worm, which has been dubbed Mawanella, the word that appears in the subject line.