Last Monday, two Internet viruses infected NIU servers, slowing down bandwidth and computer processing.

Mike Pastore, Northern Star systems manager, said that “SOBIG,” the more well-known virus, created a great deal of confusion and chaos. In addition, the virus ate up a great deal of bandwidth, slowing down computer processing.

According to Symantec.com, an Internet security site, the virus operates and spreads by sending messages to and from the e-mail addresses in an infected address book. A newly released variant of the SOBIG virus may even collect passwords from the infected computer.

SOBIG is said to terminate itself Sept. 10, according to a number of sources. However, sources confirm the spreading of the virus will get worse before it gets better.

The worm only can infect a computer if an e-mail attachment containing the virus is opened.

The SOBIG virus only affects Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, NT and XP. The virus does not effect Linux, Macintosh, OS/2 or UNIX operating systems.

MS BLASTER, the second and lesser-known virus, started a week before SOBIG did, about Aug. 6 or 7, Pastore said.

It is said to be transmitted through exploits in the computer’s operating system.

If MS BLASTER has infected a computer, the virus makes itself known by crashing the system 60 seconds after booting.

A variant of the MS BLASTER, Welchia, aka the “good” worm, also is active and spreading. After entering through the computer’s network through a “hole,” the virus fixes the hole originally used to infect the computer.

Both the viruses and their variants can be terminated by accessing Symantec.com and running a removal tool. However, the tool will not fix existing holes in an operating system.

Mike Riley, a systems analyst for Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS), said the author and origin of the viruses are unknown, but they both have been transmitted through many companies and campuses.

Riley and others say downloading updates for a system’s virus definitions and Windows operating system is a good way to help prevent viruses.

However, nothing can prevent them 100 percent.

“I’m almost convinced that you can’t completely stop them (viruses),” said Riley, but updates are the best thing anyone can do.

To download updates that will fix the exploits, visit Microsoft.com, Pastore said.