June 1 Virus Hoax

Provided by Charles Kao

Thursday May 31, 11:50 am Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: Computer Associates International, Inc.

Computer Associates Warns of June 1 Virus Hoax;
SULFNBK.EXE Attempts to Direct Windows Users to Delete
Legitimate System File

ISLANDIA, N.Y., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer Associates International,Inc. (NYSE: CA - news; CA)
today warned of the SULFNBK.EXE virus hoax, which misleads users by claiming that a destructive virus will activate on June 1, deleting every file on the computer system's hard disk.

The virus hoax appears as an email message instructing users to delete the standard Windows system utility SULFNBK.EXE, stating the file is a virus. In an attempt to add
additional realism, the hoax states the information on SULFNBK.EXE was from an antivirus vendor's website. Several variations of SULFNBK.EXE have appeared in other languages.

``Hoaxes are as dangerous as true virus threats, in that they create unnecessary panic and may coerce computer users to damage their own systems,'' said Ian Hameroff, business manager, security solutions, CA. ``SULFNBK.EXE has already tricked computer users into deleting perfectly clean files.''