Webmail plagued by worm virus

Opening up an e-mail seemingly from an IU friend could land your computer in serious trouble. \nIU accounts and mail distribution lists are being distributed without authorization of either the University or the holders of the e-mail accounts, according to the UITS Web site. The mail distribution lists are then being used by "spam-bots" that send out spam messages to the email addresses within the lists. An especially virulent element of the virus is its use of e-mail addresses contained within the address books of the victim, which masks the virus as a message from an acquaintance. \n"At first (the virus) came from 'The Monitor,' and I was about to open it because it normally comes from UITS," said senior Jill Narozny, who is a UITS employee. "Luckily, I couldn't open it and I got another one from the Adventure Club and I just had a customer come in who said they got it from a friend who didn't send it to him, so the virus is pretty tricky."\nUITS sent out a notification to staff and faculty accounts stating the e-mail load is exceeding the normal operating capacity of the Webmail server systems. The notification said the load of e-mails coming through the servers has increased by more than 400 percent in the past 10 days alone. UITS attributes the problem to IU server-hosts being used as spam-bots to fill IU accounts with unwanted e-mails.\nThe spam problem is especially infuriating as many students said they expect their IU e-mail accounts to be more secure than accounts from free e-mail services or Internet service providers. \n"I just don't understand why I get spammed in my IU account," junior Jacob Armstrong said. "I understand getting spam in my Yahoo! account, but I don't even know where it's coming from. I just set this account up about a month ago and it's quite annoying to think that I might have something important in here, and get down to the bottom and see it's just the same routine spam mail."\nAccording to the staff e-mail, the current plan is to employ a series of changes within the e-mail security systems. UITS plans to implement an encrypted connection from mail hosts to prevent further mail-service problems. Other changes include the use of a new mail relay service to replace the current mail relays that have been compromised by the spammers. The mail relay system acts as the mailman to the respective addresses, delivering the e-mail messages to the receiver. \nUITS also plans to create a "Quarantine" spam box in Webmail accounts rating incoming e-mails on a risk percentage. If the e-mail has a risk percentage of more than 50, the e-mail will be held in quarantine for five days. UITS plans a pilot program with 5,000 participants to test the Quarantine system, and are encouraging students and faculty to sign up at mas.iu.edu/filterRegistration.\nNot only viruses are contained with the e-mails, as some students have also received spam as attachments. \n"I received an e-mail with 'Hey' in the title and there's nothing written down and an unnamed file attached to it," Armstrong said. "I did open it once just to see what it was, and it was an advertisement for some sexual dysfunction drug."\nAs for the current virus problems, the UITS Web site advises students and faculty to refrain from opening suspicious messages and to delete them immediately as they could contain viruses.\n"I would advise people to just be careful what they open," Narozny said. "If it looks strange with your ID in the subject line, then don't open it."\n-- Contact senior writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.