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Technology - Reuters - updated 4:40 PM ET Sep 24 
Monday September 24 3:10 PM ET 

New 'War Vote' Virus Deletes Computer
Files

By Elinor Mills Abreu

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Security
experts on Monday warned of a brand new
virus masquerading as a program that will
allow people to vote whether the United States should go to
war over
the deadly Sept. 11 hijacker attacks, but which deletes
computer files
instead.

The ``Vote Virus'' is spreading via e-mail to users of
Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news)Outlook e-mail
program, said Simon Perry, vice president of security
solutions at Computer Associates International Inc. (NYSE:CA
- news)

The virus appears with the subject line: ``Peace between

America and Islam!'' and the body of the e-mail reads: ``Hi.
Is it a war against America or Islam!? Let's vote to live in
peace!'' Perry said.

When the attachment entitled ``WTC.exe'' is opened, the
virus deletes all the files on the computer's hard drive and
sends copies of the e-mail to every address listed in the
computer's address book, he said.

The virus also defaces any Web pages that are hosted by an
infected computer to read: ``America ... few days will show
you what we can do!!! It's our turn ))) Zaker is so sorry
for you.''

The virus is believed to be the work of an opportunist and
not associated with the Sept. 11 jetliner attacks on the
World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) in which
more than 6,000 people are believed to be dead or missing.

``There is no evidence that this is related to the people
who carried out'' the attacks, Perry said.

``We feel this is likely to get quite a high pickup in that
a lot of people are going to click on this,'' he said. ``If
the news about this doesn't get out before people get their
e-mails, they're at risk.''

SICK SENSE OF HUMOR

Perry said he expects there will be more socially engineered
viruses created in the future that will take advantage of
people's interest in the attacks and the subsequent
political and military repercussions.

``What this is a sick sense of humor,'' Perry said.
``Chances are this is not any kind of cyber-terrorism. It's
just cyber terror.''