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A new computer virus wormed its way into the Texas A&M computer system Tuesday morning, causing users to open what looks like legitimate e-mail attachments.
The virus, dubbed Beagle.J or Bagle.k, is spread through a zip attachment that requires a password to open, said Jeff McCabe, associate director of A&M's Computer Information Services.
"One main thing it does is drags any e-mail address and replicates it to other people you have e-mail addresses for," he said.
David Sustaita, a senior associate for information technology issues management, said the password is given in the body of the e-mail and is usually numerical.
Sustaita said the difference between the Beagle virus and the MyDoom virus, which spread around campus in January, is that the Beagle virus is more aggressive in urging someone to open the attachment.
"The MyDoom virus tries to trick someone into opening an infected attachment, but in a less persuasive way," Sustaita said.
The new variant to the Beagle virus is that its elaborate and attempts to lure someone into performing an action, and if it is not done, it threatens to close the e-mail account, Sustaita said.
The subject lines of infected e-mails will try to fool the receiver into thinking the e-mail is a legitimate message. The body of the message may also include "please read the attached for further details."
Several departments may have been hit with the virus, causing e-mails to be sent out without their knowledge.
Rob Stewart, promotions and game operations coordinator for the Athletic Department at A&M, sent out a campus-wide e-mail Wednesday stating that e-mails sent from his mailbox to all students with sports passes did not intentionally go out.
"I assure you that these messages did not originate from me, my computer or Texas A&M," Stewart wrote.
McCabe said he knows people who have been infected with the virus because they were unaware they were opening a virus.
"We had someone in my office get (an e-mail) from her professor so it appeared to be legitimate," McCabe said. "Unfortunately she opened it because she thought they would have sent an attachment."
McCabe said computer users need to be extremely careful when receiving e-mail attachments.
He said one should not open an attachment unless you are sure that person was going to send an e-mail with a particular attachment.
"People like to (write viruses) for kicks to see how famous they can become," McCabe said.
Preston Fernandes, a sophomore petroleum engineering major and a student worker at the Blocker Building open access computer lab, said the lab has gotten a few complaints about the virus, but it cannot take any action once the virus is opened.
Fernandes said he tells people to delete the file and not to open any attachments.
Sustatia said people need to take caution when sending and receiving e-mails.
"A simple phone call can confirm if the e-mail is legitimate," he said. "Don't think that just because an anti-virus program is there you are protected. Keep your computer patched."
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