‘Funny Virus’ Not Amusing

A locally created computer virus called the “Funny Virus” is disabling computers around Burma.

According to IT technicians from a computer school in Rangoon, the virus began circulating last month and is passed on between computer users through email or downloads.

The Funny Virus is transferred to a computer’s hard drive when the user opens the email, which carries a photograph of a pretty Burmese girl called “Ohn Mar Soe.” Users are invited to open the file by guessing the girl’s year of birth from a list.

“However, it warns you that if you chose the wrong year, you computer will shut down and it will affect your computer system,” said a Rangoon computer user.
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Nevertheless, once users have opened the email they are unable to exit without choosing a year, which in turn spreads the virus.

He said the computer virus “has infected everything from privately owned laptops to internet cafés in Rangoon.”

An IT technician from KMD computer training school in Rangoon said, “The Funny virus can killed, but it will still remain in the computer’s system.

“After the Funny virus appears, you had better install Windows again,” she added.

In February, many Burmese computer users were hit by a computer virus known as the “Happy Birthday virus.” It disabled the networks of a number of Internet cafes and several government offices in Burma.

irrawaddy