New Frethem Computer Virus Detected In Japan

Frethem.K multiplies by sending virus copies to e-mail addresses from a computer's address book, Tokyo-based Trend Micro says on its Web site.

Another, more virulent strain, dubbed Frethem.L, is also circulating, according to Tokyo-based Japan Network Associates' Web site.

The computer bugs use the sender's address and appear on a recipient's e-mail log with the subject header "Re: Your password!" Opening the message activates the virus, which destroys files and instructs the computer to connect to the Internet and visit several Web sites.

Trend Micro, which specializes in antivirus software, says 44 cases of the Frethem.K virus had been reported in Japan by Monday. It wasn't clear how widely the Frethem.L virus had spread.

The e-mail server at Japan's National Aerospace Laboratory was infected with the virus on Monday, Kyodo News says. The lab shut down electronic communication for several hours to purge the virus from the computer network, it says.

Both Trend Micro and Japan Network Associates are offering a free software vaccine, which can be downloaded from their Web sites.

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