There's a new computer virus about which uses the 11 September terrorist attacks to induce unsuspecting users to open an email attachment and trigger the virus, according to Computer Associates International (CA).

CA is classifying this mass mailer virus as medium- to high-risk because its strong social engineering techniques will increase the chances of it being propagated through Microsoft Outlook and spreading its destructive payload.

The email carrying the virus has certain characteristics which make it easy
to recognise:

Email Subject: "Fwd: Peace BeTweeN AmeriCa And IsLaM!"
Email Body:
Hi
iS iT A waR Against AmeriCa Or IsLaM !?
Let's Vote To Live in Peace!
Attachment:
WTC.exe.

For the technically minded among you, the virus payload consists of dropping two Visual Basic Script files and registry modifications so that the scripts will run on Windows startup.

The first script attempts to overwrite HTML/HTM files on local and network drives with the text string "AmeRiCa . . . Few Days WiLL Show You What We Can Do!!! It's Our Turn." The second script makes modifications to the autoexec.bat file, so that if the user reboots, all files in the Windows directory will be deleted and the C: drive reformatted.

Additional information is available at http://ca.com/virusinfo

Sometimes when I try to access a Website, I just get the message: "The server does not have a DNS entry." What does this mean?

DNS is a message used by Netscape Navigator. It stands for Domain Name System (or Service, some say), which is like a phone book for the Internet.

The most common reason for this message is that you have made a mistake when typing in the Website address (or URL: Uniform Resource Locator).

		Check the address you have entered in the URL window. Remember that Internet addresses are "case sensitive", so if you have put an upper-case letter (capital) where there should be a lower-case letter (small letter) -- or vice versa -- the system might be confused.
		Check also that you have included all the required punctuation, such as forward slashes (/) and full points (.) -- especially if the address is a long one. These punctuation marks are easy to misread and mis-type.
		If the address is a long one, try deleting parts of it from the end towards its beginning. Some URLs aim to send you to a specific page within the overall Website. By gradually working your way back down the address you should end up at the Home (or Entry) Page of the site. The Webmaster should have provided a way you can navigate through the site to the page you originally wanted.
		If none of this works, you probably have an incorrect address or the Website does not exist.
		Or
		Another reason you get the DNS message is if there is a problem with the connections to the Website.
		Here, your best plan is to log off and try again later.

Internet Explorer generates a similar message for the same reasons as above: "Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site . . . . A connection with the server could not be established."

How can I stop people accessing my computer when I am online? Or am I simply being paranoid?

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you, as the saying goes. And access attempts to home computers are not so uncommon as people have previously thought. I recently recorded three attempts on my computer during an online session of only five minutes. Fortunately, I have Zone Alarm fitted, and so can you.

		It works by blocking automatic access to your computer unless you have given permission.
		Usually, you would give your ISP automatic permission. And you may want to do the same for the site containing update data for your virus protection software and other sites you regularly use.
		However, attempted entry by any other sites will be blocked and you will be informed that an attempt was made by such-and-such an IP number.
		This is uninformative, but you can try to identify the site by going to the Zone Alarm site and using the search facilities.

You can download a single user, personal, version of Zone Alarm from www.zonealarm.com. Business or multiple users are asked to buy the appropriate version from the same site.

Often when I am browsing one Website, I find a link to another -- possibly relevant -- site but would like to check that this site is useful before leaving the first site. Is there any way I can do this?

Yes.

		Right click your mouse on the link.
		This generates a dropdown menu.
		Scroll down to select "Open in New Window" if you are using Internet Explorer.
		If you are using Netscape Navigator, select and left click on "New Window with this Link".
		A new browser window will open displaying the linked site's first page.
		This would allow you quickly to check, for example, that the apparently attractive link to kidney disease is about human conditions and not kidney problems in cats.
		Click on the "x" in the top right of the browser window to go back to your original site.

I sometimes come across a Web page which I think a colleague might find interesting or useful. Is there an easy way I can send the page rather than having to send an email with the URL and directions to find the exact page?

Yes. Internet Explorer allows you to send the page you are looking at easily and quickly.

In Internet Explorer

		Go to File in the top tool bar of the browser.
		Scroll down to highlight Send.
		This opens a side menu with the option Send by E-mail.
		Left click to select this option.
		You will generate a dialog box which gives you the option of sending the page as either an Attachment or Read Only.
		Choose which you want and another box appears.
		Fill in you colleague's email address and left click Send.

In Netscape Navigator

		Go to File in the top tool bar of the browser.
		Scroll down to select Send Page and left click.
		This opens an email interface.
		Fill in your colleague's email address and left click Send.

When you are entering personal or other details into a template of independent fields you can save time -- and wrist power -- by using the Tab key (the one with two arrows: one pointing to the right; and the other pointing to the left) rather than having to move the mouse pointer to the appropriate field and left clicking to activate the cursor.

		Hitting the Tab key will move the active cursor down the template from field to field.
		Pressing Shift and Tab will move the cursor back up the template from field to field.
		You can also use this trick when entering details into some address/contact software packages.
		Note that sometimes the cursor will go to the field's title before the blank entry box. When this happens these will usually become highlighted. This allows them to be customised through a dropdown menu generated by left clicking a downward pointing arrow at the right of the field name.
		So, if you don't want to alter the field's name, you'll have to press the Tab key twice to reach the field you want to fill in.

When faced with a dialog box offering you option buttons, simply pressing the Enter key on your keyboard will action the default button -- the one with the dotted line on it -- which is quicker than having to use the mouse.