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Here's news of the next wretched computer worm to look out for.

A computer worm called Goner is spreading so fast that experts say it has the potential to be as destructive as last year's Love Letter virus. Anti-virus firm McAfee have classified the worm as an "outbreak" as Goner shut down e-mail servers at businesses, including some in Atlanta. That rating hasn't been assigned since Love Letter hit in May 2000 and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Goner arrives as an attachment on an e-mail with a subject line that says, "Hi." The e-mail asks the recipient to install a screen saver program. When the screen saver is installed, the computer worm goes to work. It deletes critical files from any anti-virus program installed on that computer. The worm spreads so fast because it then sends copies of itself to everyone in that computer's e-mail address book.

Only computers using Microsoft Windows are vulnerable. The only e-mail programs Goner uses are Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express. However, it can also spread itself by using the popular instant messaging program, ICQ, if that program is present on the infected computer.

That's where it presents a chillingly unique danger.

The worm has what amounts to a remote control feature. If the infected computer connects to an Internet chat service called IRC, hackers can hijack the infected computer, according to Dan Ingevaldson, anti-virus specialist with Atlanta-based Internet Security Systems. The company offers security and anti-virus technology to the federal government and companies worldwide.

"Your computer can be part of a denial-of-service network without your knowing it and be used to attack e-commerce sites, military, governments' sites," he said. Denial-of-service attacks literally flood a Web site with information, shutting them down. Hackers could take over the infected computers in a manner that turns the PCs into what experts call a "zombie."

Ingevaldson said Goner is also known as Pentagon. He said he knew nothing that would connect it to any terrorist activities and said the name "could be a joke." The danger to businesses is that --- true to the worm name --- Goner can worm through computer networks, duplicating itself and taking up so much bandwidth that it can clog networks and e-mail servers, said Ruth Lestina, Vice President of operations and engineering at Three Pillars, an Atlanta-based information computer security and risk management firm. Love Letter caused most of its damage in the same manner.

Lestina said she had already heard from two "middle-sized and one large" Atlanta-based companies that experienced problems with Goner . In one case, she said, it temporarily halted e-mail service. She would not identify the companies, other than to say that they weren't clients of her firm.

Every major maker of anti-virus software has released updates to allow the programs to detect Goner. The experts advise checking with the Web site of your program to get the update.

For computers that have already been infected by Goner, a consumer would need to reinstall the anti-virus program and scan the system.

This is what the Goner e-mail looks like:

If you receive it, don't open it, but DELETE it immediately and don't forget to also delete it from your Deleted Items folder. Keep your anti-virus software up to date and beat these blighters!

The lovely picture of the first snows of winter at his home village in Lincolnshire, UK, came from Geoff Graham and was taken on 23rd December.

Obec also referred to a website that features what looks like some very comprehensive anti-virus software, although again I was unable to read the text. However, for other readers of ModelFlight from Obec's part of the world, you might like to take a look at www.grisoft.cz since it might well be of interest to you.