Microsoft advises switching Word to 'safe mode'
Microsoft is advising people to run its Word application in "safe mode" to help guard against a Trojan program that surfaced recently, although security experts on Wednesday said there still appears little cause for alarm.
"The good news is that it doesn't seem to be very widespread," said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant with U.K. antivirus company Sophos PLC. "There have been very, very few reports."
Researchers at F-Secure and Trend Micro also said the number of reported incidents remained low on Wednesday. Trend Micro rates the Trojan as "low risk" because, while the potential for damage is high, the impact so far has been small, said David Sancho, a senior antivirus engineer.
The Trojan surfaced last Thursday and arrives buried in a Word file attached to an e-mail message. It secretly installs software on a user's PC that could be used to execute remote commands, download other malware or monitor keystrokes and gather passwords, among other mischief.
