Virus, worms wreak havoc on computer networks

An updated version of an old virus jammed business and government computers on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The New York Times, USA Today and News.com report that the "So Big" e-mail virus has reappeared in a new and fast-moving form.

The worm invades computers as an e-mail attachment, then e-mails hundreds of copies of itself to people listed in the computers' Microsoft Outlook address books. The virus is designed to self-destruct Sept. 10.

AP, BBC, the Los Angeles Times and The Mercury News also report this story.

In other news, Computerworld reports that the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet was hit by the "MSBlaster" worm but, contrary to reports, did not force administrators to take the system offline. And The Washington Post reports that another worm named "Welchia," which eliminates "MSBlaster" from infected computers, toppled some computer networks, including those of the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet and Air Canada.