Anna virus just an inconvenience

Diana Sahagun

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 10:06 a.m.

A supposed electronic photo of teenage tennis star Anna Kournikova helped unleash a computer virus that wormed its way through the Las Vegas Valley Monday, but businesses and local governments said anti-virus software prevented anything more than inconvenience.

The virus, which appears to have originated in Europe, comes as an e-mail attachment named "AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs" and carries the message "Hi: Check This!" But it does not actually contain a photo of the 19-year-old tennis star.

Instead, once the attachment is opened, the virus automatically sends copies of itself to everyone in the recipient's address book.

Joseph Marcella, director of information technologies for the city of Las Vegas, said the virus was a "rip off" of May's "I Love You" virus, which caused tens of millions of dollars in damage worldwide.

"This is not as destructive," Marcella said of the Anna virus. "It tends to clog the e-mail system."

Marcella said 120 Anna attachments were sent to the city but were filtered and quarantined at a "firewall" before they could be sent out to employees. The viruses were then deleted.

The virus did not slow the city's computer server, and Marcella added that the city usually filters out 1,500 viruses a day.

Clark County spokesman Doug Bradford said a firewall also kept the virus from reproducing within county computers.