The Kama Sutra worm (also known as Blackworm, MyWife.E, and Nyxem.E) has been spreading via e-mail for about two weeks now.

Unlike other malicious software that's used to steal your passwords or hijack your computer, the Kama Sutra worm is designed to destroy your files. According to Microsoft's official Security Advisory the worm will "permanently corrupt a number of common document format files."

Those would include Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop files stored on your hard drive or any drive connected to your machine. The contents of those files will be replaced with a data error message.

The worm first appeared around Jan. 16, spread by e-mail with attention-getting subject lines, such as: "Hot Movies," "Crazy Illegal Sex," Give Me A Kiss," "School Girl Fantasies Gone Bad," and "The Best Video Clip Ever." Those who got curious and clicked on the attachment launched the worm.

After it disables your anti-virus protection, the virus starts sending copies of itself via infected messages to everyone in your address book. Finally, it installs a program that erases all the commonly used Windows work files on your hard drive on the third day of each month.

"For any individual person who's got this worm, it can be devastating," Symantec software's Vincent Weafer told me, "because not only will your user files be destroyed, but they won't be recoverable by standard means."

Here's one more reason why the Kama Sutra virus is so dangerous -- its damage isn't limited to your main computer. It will also erase the Windows-based files stored on an external hard drive or storage device that is connected to your infected machine.

HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

No one's really sure. The reports I've seen say somewhere between 300,000 to a half-million machines worldwide may be infected. So this has not reached the level of some of the virus attacks we saw last year. Of course, if your machine is infected and all your documents disappear on Friday, it will be crisis to you.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES?

If you have a subscription to anti-virus software, such as Norton or McAfee, and you haven't updated in a while, go online now and download those updates.

If you've been putting off backing up your computer, make sure you have another copy of your important files saved on a CD, tape drive or removable jump drive - something that is not connected to your main system.

If you back-up on an external hard drive, disconnect it from the main computer until you are sure your system is not infected.

If you have shared Windows files, make sure they are protected with a complex password.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO KNOW IF YOUR MACHINE HAS BEEN INFECTED?

You can download a free disinfectant from a number of well-known anti-virus software companies. It will scan your machine and if the worm is found remove it before it can do any damage.

HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

No one's really sure. The reports I've seen say somewhere between 300,000 to a half-million machines worldwide may be infected. So this has not reached the level of some of the virus attacks we saw last year. Of course, if your machine is infected and all your documents disappear on Friday, it will be crisis to you.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES?

• If you have a subscription to anti-virus software, such as Norton or McAfee, and you haven't updated in a while, go online now and download those updates.
• If you've been putting off backing up your computer, make sure you have another copy of your important files saved on a CD, tape drive or removable jump drive.
• If you back-up on an external hard drive, disconnect it from the main computer until you are sure your system is not infected.
• If you have shared Windows files, make sure they are protected with a complex password.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO KNOW IF YOUR MACHINE HAS BEEN INFECTED?

You can download a free disinfectant from a number of well-known anti-virus software companies. It will scan your machine and if the worm is found remove it before it can do any damage.

Here are a few links to those places:

Symantec

F-Secure

Microsoft Security Advisory

WHAT IS WITH THE NAME KAMA SUTRA?

One of the e-mails sending out the infection refers to the Kama Sutra, the ancient book on Sexual positions. But this worm is also referred to by a number of different names, including Blackworm, MyWife.E, and Nyxem.E. Microsoft refers to it as Win32/Mywife.E@mm . No matter what the name, the danger is the same - losing all your important files.

For More Information:

File-eating Blackworm on the way

Kama Sutra suffering starts early for some