Trilight Zone

[digital8]

Viruses are a major email security hazard that people simply cannot afford to ignore. Over 11,000 different computer viruses exist to date and some 300 new ones are created each month. Their effects range from negligible to bothersome to destructive.
The extent of the problem is so great that today begun to prohibit the use of email attachments, as this is where viruses are often embedded. Unless forewarned, users are generally unaware that they have received a virus until they open the infected attachment. By this time, it is too late: the virus is activated and starts to take over, completely infecting the hard drive and the messaging network.
The danger of viruses transmitted through macros, another common form of virus transmission, is that they allow the user to continue working and sharing documents. This way, the virus spreads faster, infecting more and more users. One such macro virus, known as Melissa, reared its ugly head on March 26, 1999. Melissa forced a lot of people all over the world to suspend all email transactions.
Other fiercely destructive viruses followed fast on Melissa's trail, such as the Chernobyl (CIH) virus and the Explore Worm, both of which wipe out files, resulting in data loss. And, as if all this were not enough, anti-virus researchers predict that more damaging email viruses are yet to come.