As if the recent influx of computer threats was not enough, another worm is propagating via Microsoft Outlook in Hong Kong and worldwide, with the help of unsuspecting victims.
Anti-virus provider Network Associates said TrojApost.A, also known as Apost, or Readme after the name of the attachment used to spread it, had been reported by SAR organisations.
North Asia regional engineering manager Abby Tang said her firm had one report on Tuesday, while e-mail security firm MessageLabs said it had detected 59 infected e-mails from Hong Kong.
The worm e-mails itself as an attachment called readme.exe to recipients in a victim's Outlook address book. The subject line consistently reads: 'As per your request!' The body text is: 'Please find attached file for your review. I look forward to hear from you again very soon. Thank you.'
Ms Tang said: 'We don't expect that the Apost worm will be as destructive as Sircam and Code Red, but will cause a nuisance to PC users in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the region.
'The fact that this is a nuisance means that users are simply not updating their anti-virus software as frequently as they should.'
