So once again let's take it from the top. In the beginning, the computers of most average citizens were void of the Internet. Life was harsh for virus-kind. Viruses had to rely on floppy disks as the sole means for spreading infection and surviving in the wild. The process was slow and anti-virus companies were always able to stay one step ahead, updating their software before an outbreak even had a prayer. Then some wise guy decided it would be a good idea to plug our computers into the phone line and the Internet was born. Okay, so I left out a few minor details. The important part is that viruses could now have a field day in cyberspace. And boy did they ever take advantage! Timeless advice, "always scan your floppy disks for viruses before using them," was no longer good enough anymore. Now the conscientious individual had to beware of files that were attached to e-mail messages too. As the cliché goes "don't take candy from a stranger" e-mailers were advised not "to open attached files from a stranger." But this advice too, would prove short-lived.
The virus world would become forever changed on March 26, 1999. Her name was Melissa, and she was a new kind of virus which everyday users were not familiar with yet. Coded unlike the old fashioned executable virus, and a clever twist on the more popular macro virus that hides inside Microsoft Office documents, Melissa--part virus, part worm--knew how to get around. Literally! The virus largely consisted of macro instructions which told her how to spread through e-mail. When a victim would click on an infected file, Melissa would automatically start running MS-Outlook, peek inside the address book, and then promptly e-mail all the victim's friends, family, casual acquaintances, and anyone else lucky enough to be listed in the address book, potentially infecting all of them. Yes, no longer could cybercitizens confidently click on e-mail attachments that even came from sources they knew and trusted! So the new advice coming from virus experts was "always be suspicious of all e-mail attachments especially if it's an unexpected or odd looking message."
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