The Winevar worm - which appears bearing the message "Make a fool of oneself: What a foolish thing you've done!" - is spreading via e-mail as an attachment that infects computers running Windows.

If users hit the OK button, they could run the danger of losing all the files on their computer.

The new virus threat comes as major computer manufacturers seek to find ways to immunise their products to protect against infection.

Have you been infected by a computer virus? What more can be done to protect our PCs against computer viruses?

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Thank you for your e-mails. This Talking Point is now closed. A selection of your comments is published below.

If you must use a Microsoft product, turn off the e-mail preview and empty your deleted items folder.
Phil, UK

Although this worm doesn't appear to exploit their many holes directly, dump Outlook Express and Internet Explorer. I run Windows without these and without anti-virus software and have never been infected. Sadly, user stupidity is one security hole for which no patch is available.
Dominic Jackson, UK

I know very little about the way in which computers and email actually works, but I imagine with the sheer complexity and volume of email traffic, it is virtually impossible to stop fresh viruses appearing.
James, UK

Use more than one line of defence against viruses

Julian Field, UK

People should use more than one line of defence against viruses. Good, up to date, anti-virus software on your home computer is essential. But this should be reinforced by your ISP running anti-virus software such as MailScanner on their mail servers so that viruses never reach you in the first place.
Julian Field, UK

In the future (when network operators decide to spend money on infrastructure again), we will have clever packet switches which can do what is called 'deep packet classification'. This means that it will be able to look at the packets as they go from one place to another and see that they contain a virus. They can then be removed before spreading further. This will help the clogging of the internet with the packets which contain the virus, which is normally distributed in huge quantities, and may also identify the source of the virus creator much quicker.
Robert C, UK

Increase IT education of users!
Paolo Sammut, UK

Simple. Turn off your computer, don't answer the phone, lock your doors, turn off the lights, and hide under your blanket!
Colin Heyes, Germany (from UK)

Do not open any e-mail attachment unless you can verify its source

Pete, UK

I am not surprised that yet another e-mail worm has been found. I am surprised, however, at how many net users do not take even the most elementary precautions. With so many free firewalls and anti-virus programs available, users have no real excuse if they do get infected. Perhaps I should reiterate the old maxim: Do not open any e-mail attachment unless you can verify its source.
Pete, UK

The majority of computer viruses demonstrate security weaknesses in software made by one company. Usually these are weaknesses that are a result of bad programming and even worse testing by the software authors. It is time for a change in liability. If I buy any other kind of product and it fails to meet the claims on the box then the producers get sued for damages if it fails me. If my computer gets hacked and I lose information because the software product, the company should be held accountable for my losses for failing to provide me with the security they imply their software has.
David Howe, UK

Stop using buggy Microsoft software?
Tom, UK

Over the last three years I have regularly received e-mail viruses but never been infected. Why? I use Apple Macs. Although I do run firewall and antivirus software I believe you can count the Apple Mac viruses on the fingers of two hands.
Jonathan T, UK

Use Linux instead of MS operating systems. Enough said.
Brian Jones, UK

Brian and Tom - heard of t0rn? l1on? Slapper? Does the phrase 'buffer overflow' mean nothing to you? Linux is not immune from attacks either. We find a number of linux attacks aimed at our servers on a daily basis.
Antony Shepherd, UK

It's easy to blame Microsoft but the reason that Apple Macs or Linux users don't get infected is because there's no point writing a virus for (relatively) so few users. If their products became mainstream, as sure as anything they'd be targets.
Vernon Bigg, UK