‘HomePage’ Virus Hits Microsoft Outlook

An initially fast-spreading e-mail worm nicknamed “HomePage,” the cousin of February’s “Anna Kournikova” virus, hit thousands of users of Microsoft Outlook address directories in Asia and Europe.

Office workers in banks and telephone companies and government agencies who opened e-mail containing the virus--technically known as VBSWG.X--were suddenly redirected to one of four sexually explicit Web pages, experts said.

The virus also triggered a barrage of e-mail to anyone listed in an affected computer’s Outlook e-mail address book, which in turn overloaded some organization’s e-mail systems, according to anti-virus experts tracking the virus’ spread.

While HomePage once again revealed the vulnerability of computer networks to virus attacks, no more than 10,000 or so users were affected, analysts estimated.