Those who opened an e-mail attachment around finals week expecting a love letter were met with a surprise.

The “Lovebug” computer virus wreaked havoc earlier this month using the subject “I love you” to draw people in.

Dean Hutchison, assistant director of the Administrative Data Processing Center, said the virus attacks a person’s computer and then spreads.

“Once downloaded, the virus infects the individual’s computer. It changes some files on the computer, primarily jpeg files — picture files primarily — as well as mp3 files, which are audio files,” he said. “It also adds a file called love-letter-for-you.txt.vbs. That one doesn’t do anything — unless you click on it. Then you’ll re-infect your machine.”

The Lovebug can only spread using the Microsoft Outlook program, but it affects all computers using Microsoft Windows, he said.

“On the Outlook client, if you open the attachment in the e-mail, your computer becomes infected, and then Outlook sends a message with the virus attached to everyone in your address book,” Hutchison said.

Lovebug did not damage any of Iowa State’s operating systems, he said.

“From the ADP center, we had about 40 people using our system open the attachment and become infected,” he said. “[But] this only affects personal computers. It didn’t impact any of the administration- operating systems that we use on campus.”

Doug Jacobson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said unless a person is using backups, the Lovebug can cause irreparable damage.

“It actually overwrote the jpeg and mp3 files, so there was no way to get them back,” he said. “So once you double-clicked on it, it made a pretty big mess on your computer.”

Since the virus is spread through people’s address books, it seems to be from somebody the receiver knows, Hutchison said.

“The way this particular virus works, it does look like it’s coming from someone you’re acquainted with, but you also need to think, are you expecting this attachment from this person?” he said.

Jacobson said it is important to watch what you download off the Internet as well as which attachments you open.

“People just need to be aware of what they’re bringing home to run on their computer,” he said.

The “I love you” subject works to raise curiosity in the receiver, Hutchison said.

“It seems like many of the viruses, they do try to catch a subject that will make people want to open it or make people inquisitive about it,” he said.

The virus-containing e-mail’s subject was “great social engineering,” Jacobson said.

“It was a perfect title to [make the virus] spread like it did,” he said. “Something like this, people felt compelled to open.”

Hutchison said a similar ploy was a Mother’s Day virus claiming to be an invoice telling the receiver to download an attachment to pick up a gift order.

“So these things seem like they may be real, or in this case it’s something someone might want to download it to see what it is might have been ordered,” he said.

Jacobson said several copycat viruses have struck since, but people were already suspicious of opening attachments, so they did little damage.

“There were several flavors that came out within the next day or two with different names. One was a joke, another claimed to be an antivirus — a way to get rid of the Lovebug,” he said.

Anyone whose computer is infected by a virus or who has concerns about virus protection should call the ISU Solutions Center at 296-6000 or stop by Room 195 of the Durham Center. Those under ADP support can contact the ADP center help desk at 294-8034.