Costly Computer Virus Hits Again

Sat., Feb. 12, 2000

A computer virus blamed for more than $80 million in damage last year has scored another hit, this time in the Snohomish County government’s e-mail system.

The Melissa virus eluded defenses and infested county computers about noon Thursday, resulting in the shutdown of the e-mail system, said Colin Bottem, director of information services.

The rest of the county’s computer services were not affected, Bottem said, and the e-mail system was expected to be functioning again Friday.

Melissa struck thousands of e-mail systems on March 26, disguised as an “important message” from a friend, and spread around the world like an electronic chain letter. In December, David L. Smith, a computer programmer, pleaded guilty in Newark, N.J., to creating the virus and using a sex Web site to spread it through cyberspace.

When the message is opened, the virus goes to the recipient’s computer address book and sends the same message to the first 50 e-mail addresses.

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