Homeland security offers alerts warning of e-mail viruses.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: Up front: news, trends & analysis

In January, the biggest computer worm thus far--dubbed "MyDoom"--hit e-mail servers hard: 1 in 12 e-mail accounts was affected. The worm, which appeared as an innocuous error message, clogged global e-mail traffic worldwide and even forced some companies to shut down their mail servers in an attempt to stop its spread.

The U.S. government wants to make sure that when the next computer virus is let loose to wreak havoc, computer users are ready. In an attempt to increase Internet security, the government is now offering Americans free cyber alert e-mails and computer advice from the Homeland Security Department.

Anyone who signs up with the new National Cyber Alert System (www.uscert.gov) will receive e-mails about major virus outbreaks and other Internet attacks as they occur, along with detailed instructions to help computer users protect themselves.

The goal of improving the overall security of the Internet has been frustrated by increasingly complex software that can be difficult to secure and by hackers launching sophisticated new attacks. The announcement comes 11 months after such an Internet warning system was described in the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, a series of proposals endorsed by the Bush administration and the technology industry to improve online security. The alerts will function independently from the Homeland Security...