<P> On the machine system level, ILOVEYOU relied on the scripting engine system setting (which runs scripting language files such as . vbs files) being enabled, and took advantage of a feature in Windows that hid file extensions by default, which malware authors would use as an exploit . Windows would parse file names from right to left, stopping at the first period character, showing only those elements to the left of this . The attachment, which had two periods, could thus display the inner fake "txt" file extension . Text files are considered to be innocuous, as they are normally incapable of running executable code . The worm also used social engineering to entice users to open the attachment (out of actual desire to connect or simple curiosity) to ensure continued propagation . Systemic weaknesses in the design of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Windows were exploited that allowed malicious code capable of complete access to the operating system, secondary storage, and system and user data simply by unwitting users clicking on an icon . </P> <P> Messages generated in the Philippines began to spread westwards through corporate email systems . Because the worm used mailing lists as its source of targets, the messages often appeared to come from acquaintances and were therefore often regarded as "safe" by their victims, providing further incentive to open them . Only a few users at each site had to access the attachment to generate millions more messages that crippled mail systems and overwrote millions of files on computers in each successive network . </P> <P> The malware originated in the Pandacan neighborhood of Manila in the Philippines on May 5, 2000, thereafter following daybreak westward across the world, moving first to Hong Kong, then to Europe, and finally the United States, as employees began their workday that Friday morning . The outbreak was later estimated to have caused US $5.5--8.7 billion in damages worldwide, and estimated to cost US $15 billion to remove the worm . Within ten days, over fifty million infections had been reported, and it is estimated that 10% of internet - connected computers in the world had been affected . Damage cited was mostly the time and effort spent getting rid of the infection and recovering files from backups . To protect themselves, The Pentagon, CIA, the British Parliament and most large corporations decided to completely shut down their mail systems . The ILOVEYOU virus infected computers all over the world . At the time it was one of the world's most destructive computer related disasters ever . </P> <P> The events inspired the song E-mail on the Pet Shop Boys' UK top - ten album of 2002, Release, the lyrics of which play thematically on the human desires which enabled the mass destruction of this computer infection . </P>

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