Beware! Potter worm on the prowl

Harry Potter is in the news again but this time for a more dangerous reason. Experts have said that a computer worm is taking advantage of Potter mania to infect PCs around the globe. The worm, W32/Hairy, that disguises itself as a copy of the eagerly-anticipated novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which releases worldwide on July 21, is on the prowl.

The worm is apparently nasty to the core. Once in the user's system, it copies itself onto the attached USB memory drives so that it can spread to any other PC it is connected to. A file bearing the name 'HarryPotter-TheDeathlyHallows.doc' can be found on infected PCs and once opened the only words inside are: Harry Potter is dead.

It is also reported to have the capability to create a number of new Windows users on the computer which are named after the main characters in JK Rowling's popular books including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.

Once a user logs into any of these new users, a message, which sounds like it appeared from the evil Lord Voldemort himself can be seen: "Read and repent, the end is near, repent from your evil ways O Ye folks lest you burn in hell . . . JK Rowling especially."

This is not all! When an infected user opens Internet Explorer, he would find his home page re-directed to an Amazon.com page selling the spoof book Harry Putter and the Chamber of Cheesecakes!!! Computer experts warn in unison that a worm like this that infects and tampers with users' computers without their permission is committing a criminal act.

They advise users to check the root directory of their USB drives for the suspect Potter files before running their applications or using the drive on another computer.