Virus poses as CNN newsletter

The Crowt.A worm takes current headlines from the news organization's website and puts them into the email's subject line, message contents and attachments, according to anti-virus firm Sophos.

The virus mirrors the website in order to trick users into thinking the newsletter is legitimate. Once the PC is infected the virus installs a trojan which logs keystokes and steals data which it sends back to a remote user.

"Virus writers are always looking for new tricks to entice innocent computer users into running their malicious code; this latest ploy feeds on people's desire for the latest news," said Carole Theriault, security consultant at Sophos. "Users need to be suspicious of all unsolicited email whether it's promising celebrity pictures or news updates."

There have only been a handful of sightings at present, according to Sophos.

www.sophos.com