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Sub:     Warning on Maddog and Wazzu Virus--Please no Panic
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>From           : mail>mcdonalc
To             : mcdonalc
Subject        : Warning on Maddog and Wazzu Virus--Please no Panic
Date           : 01/16/97 14:39


The DoD ASSIST element has issued in conjunction with the JCS an
unusual alert on a macro virus named Maddog.  Similar warnings from
other sources have warned about another macro named Wazzu-Z.

While the reports of infections are extremely slim for both viruses,
please do not panic.  DoD users have at least two freeware programs
available.  The ASSIST element has recommended vdoc.exe which is
available at their WWW and ftp site.  

DataFellows, which is the commercial provider for F-PROT Professional,
also has a freeware program, which identifies the above named viruses
as well as 180+ other macro strains.  The program is f-macro, and is
available for anonymous ftp from ftp.datafellows.com.

White Sands users can always contact me.  I add this point since this
message is being sent to non-WSMR contacts as well.  

May I add that from a professional point of view I personnally question
the need for virus alarms of the day.  There are more productive
procedures which can be used, such as those used by the Center for Disease
Control, in responding to new viral strains.  I consider myself a
novice in this matter since my contact with computer viruses only
began in 1984; since I have evaluated only 40+ anti-viral products
against a test suite of approximately 11,000 viruses; and since I have
only had to respond to around 250+ viral infections since 1990.

I am sure the "experts" know more than I.