MICHELANGELO VIRUS MAY HIT SYSTEMS TODAY

It's a good bet the major topic of discussion today in many offices won't be politics, but the Michelangelo virus.

It's not something humans catch, but it is fatal to a computer's hard-disk files-management system because it destroys the computer's ability to find and retrieve data.

At least one case of the Michelangelo virus was discovered this week locally.

Computer experts say the virus, which is set to go off today, the 517th birthday of the Italian Renaissance artist, Michelangelo, is more widespread and potentially destructive than previous large virus strains such as Columbus Day, Jerusalem, Friday the 13th and Stoned. Those viruses are also triggered by dates.

It's estimated that as many as five million IBM-compatible personal computers could be affected by the virus if their hard-drive memory has been infected.

The Michelangelo virus destroys data by overwriting all data on the hard disk with random characters, making retrieval of data stored on the hard disk impossible.

It was triggered when the computer's internal clock reached March 6. Experts say the window of vulnerability is only today, all day long.

This week phones were ringing at computer software stores and computer consultants offices. People were asking for more information about the virus and anti-virus software programs that can locate and eradicate the virus.

Larry L. Myers, a computer consultant who owns and operates Infinity Data Products in Jackson, said he received numerous phone calls about the virus. His clients include large and small businesses in Southeast Missouri, including pharmacies, physicians, Lone Star Cement, and the Procter and Gamble plant.

Myers said he discovered the virus earlier this week in a computer hard disk in a Jackson physician's office.

"The client had called me to come out and take a look at their printer," Myers said. "While I was there, the physician got a call from the author of the software program he was using in his computer, advising the doctor to have the program checked for the Michelangelo virus."

Using a Michelangelo anti-virus scanner software program, Myers said he checked the hard disk system and found the virus buried in its memory and ready to go off. Myers said he used another software program to remove the virus and rebuild the hard disk's files-management program before any damage was done.

"If we hadn't found the virus, it would have destroyed all of the data files on the hard disk," Myers said.

How will you know if your computer is infected?

"If the virus acts fast enough, you may never be able to boot up your computer by getting into the auto execute file," Myers said. "If you do get that far, and hit the menu, at that point the whole thing will probably bomb. You may see a message on the screen that says, "Bad or missing command.com" or "File not found," he said.

"By that time everything on your hard disk is gone. You're sitting there staring at who knows what is going to come up on the screen. Whatever it is, you don't want to see it because it's bad news."

Myers said the impact of the virus is the same as a computer hard disk crash. When that happens, data files stored on the computer's hard disk can no longer be retrieved by the DOS (Disk Operating System) files-management system. "They're as good as gone," said Myers.

For businesses that depend on computers to store their customer lists and addresses, accounts payables and receivables, inventory control, employee payroll, and state and federal tax accounting data, patient and medical records, the loss of data would be devastating.

Other businesses use computers to control production lines. In this case, the virus would force the shutdown of all production until the virus can be removed and the computer reprogrammed.

The virus is believed to have been created by a computer prankster in northern Europe. Like its distant cousin, the Stoned virus, Michelangelo is carried on infected floppy disks and hides in the boot sector of the hard disk drive, making it impossible to boot up the computer. Once a system's hard drive is infected, every floppy disk placed in the computer will be infected by the virus, and serves as an infected carrier.

Myers said the virus was inadvertently spread throughout the United States.

"The retail (software) side alone has delivered over 100,000 floppy disks or masters from the factory," he said.

Myers said: "On Wednesday I visited with four of my clients. One had already obtained a virus scanner and checked all of his computers, but the other three, when I asked them about Michelangelo, they said, `What?'

"They've never heard of the virus, but if it has infected their computer system it could cause major financial losses or worse."

Myers warned that if your computer system is not infected by the Michelangelo virus there are still over 1,000 other viruses that can create havoc with a computer's hard disk system.

For example, the Jerusalem virus is scheduled to go off again on March 13. Then, there is a Friday the 13th virus that's waiting to claim some unprotected computer hard disk.

There are ways to prevent data loss caused by the viruses, said Myers. "The best defense against any virus is to make frequent backups of all the data on your hard disk drive," he said.

If a virus does strike, Myers advised do not attempt to reprogram the hard disk from the backup floppies or tape until the virus has been removed from the backup.

Myers said computer users should also purchase and install one of many anti-virus software programs that search and locate viruses on the hard disk drive.

"If you use floppy disks, make sure you check them for a virus before you put the program in the hard disk," he said.