MelissaA macro virus

.MelissaA macro virus named after a Miami stripper, was so effective in 1999 that the tidal wave of email traffic it generated caused the likes of Intel and Microsoft to shut down their email servers. The virus contained aWord document labeled List.DOC as an attachment to an email allowing access to porn sites.The email was first distributed to a Usenet group but quickly got out of hand. When a user opened the emaila message, the infected Word attachment was sent to the first 50 names in the user's address book. The scheme was particularly successful because the email bore the name of someone the recipient knew and referenced a document they had allegedly requested. I recall spending long hours cleaning up after this one.