In message , Alan Holmes
writes


These can raid the address books of IE and Outlook, and gather addresses
from saved e-mails and newsitems, then, when they are online, the
scumware 'phones home' with information about the computer, and often
any bank details it can find. It also replicates itself (which is why
it's called a virus) and sends itself to everyone in the address book
while the computer is connected to the net.

What is an address book' and why does anyone think they need it?


Where you keep your addresses....

In this context it is where email programs keep the list of email
addresses so that you don't need to type them in everytime The address
book used by Windows/Outlook/OE is vulnerable to this sort of 'attack'

Though other email programs with their own aren't (at least they
haven't been attacked yet anyway)

--
Chris French