Unauthorised Access UK 0636-708063 10pm-7am 12oo/24oo -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= MAYHEM AT FIRMS PLAGUED BY VIRUS By Philip Braund Published in The Mirror newspaper March 7th 1992 Transcribed for the H/P world by Phantasm Call Unauthorised Access +44-636-708063 Online 10pm-7am UK time -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DATA was whiped from thousands of computers as the Michelangelo virus finally struck yesterday. At least 16 British firms were hit by the electronic bug and experts reckoned it affected 10,000 systems throughout the world. Staff at a business in London watched in horror at 100 screens went blank. British expert Edward Wilding said: "I've never known such a serious loss of data due to a virus." Files also disappeared in more than 1,000 computers in 500 South African companies. But generally the damage was less than predicted because firms made copies of their data or used special programs to destroy the virus. Devised by a mischievous boffin and spread by "infected" floppy disks, it was triggered as computers clocks ticked into the 517th anniversary of Italian artist Michelangelo's birthday. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Happy birthday Michelangelo...