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Indiana University (IU) is one of the oldest state universities in the Midwest and is also one of the largest universities in the United States, with more than 100,000 students, faculty and staff on eight campuses. Information technology is critical to the University community. IU faculty and staff understand the potential for disaster that computer viruses represent in an environment where Internet downloads and e-mail proliferate. To that end, the university was diligent in keeping the workstations of faculty, staff and students - as well as its own PCs and servers outfitted with anti-virus software. In addition, since 1996, the university has made available to students IUware, a CD that contains antivirus software and other programs designed to help make their IU experience more successful.
A Hidden Menace
Every year, the university reevaluates its software to determine its continued effectiveness. Coincidentally, during product evaluations in late 1998, the university's Bloomington campus was struck with a macro virus attack against which the current anti-virus software was ineffective. University technical support staff were powerless as well. "When students or faculty called to report a virus, our security staff couldn't point them toward our...