Goner Computer Worm Not a Goner Yet

The so-called “Goner” Internet worm was still infecting computers in the United States after wreaking havoc in Europe on Tuesday, but was leaving Asia relatively unscathed, software security experts said.

After slowing down, the worm was making a bit of a comeback, said Michael Callahan, director of marketing for Network Associates Inc.’s McAfee division.

The company’s online scanning service Tuesday encountered a peak of 21,000 Goner worms an hour around 3 p.m. PST, he said.

After dropping sharply overnight, the number began picking up at 6 a.m. PST Wednesday and spiked up to 36,000 an hour between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.

U.K.-based e-mail security outsourcer MessageLabs Inc. reported seeing about 80,000 infections worldwide in 19 countries, with the U.S., Great Britain, France and Germany getting hit the hardest, said Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs.

The worm spreads through ICQ instant messaging and Internet Relay Chat programs, but primarily through e-mail software in Microsoft Corp. Outlook and Outlook Express, but not Outlook 2002.