A computer infection that is attacking systems all over the world is a concern, but not a huge problem at Chico State University.

The computer malady is technically called a worm, and it is been dubbed the "M-Blast" at Chico State and the "LovSan" elsewhere.

William E. Post, vice provost for information resources, said the university discovered a problem might be coming nearly a month ago.

On July 16, "Microsoft announced there was a problem with all of their Windows machines," said Post.

The announcement said a weakness in the Windows software made it possible for an outside individual to "take over" a computer through Internet connections.

"They (Microsoft) released some patches to install so these take-overs couldn't take place," explained Post.

A "patch" is a piece of software that fixes the computer's vulnerability to a specific attack.

The university servers and central computers were protected with the patch and then efforts were made to see that all of the scores of desktop computers on campus were also protected.

The computer problem that the patch was meant to block started to surface in the United States Monday, according to the Associated Press.

Computers corrupted by the worm were taken over and then they launched an "attack" on a Microsoft Web site, at windowsupdate.com, explained the wire service.

Ironically, the windows Web site was the place where Microsoft distributes the patch to fix the problem.

Post said he has been advised one of the characteristics of this worm is that it leaves a note that reads, "I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!"

He also said, technicians have found a more hidden message left by the worm that seems to be a rap against Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. That message reads, "billy gates (Sic) why do you make this possible? Stop making money and fix your software!"

Post said, as of mid-morning Tuesday, about 10 individual desktop computers were "compromised," and campus technicians were working to heal them.

While the university's major systems were protected, Post is concerned about how many individual desktop computers are infected.

Post said if a worm or virus does enough disruption to force the campus technicians to "re-build" the computer, "It takes us about four to 10 hours to rebuild a computer, and we have a small number of technicians that are able to do this."

With hundreds of computers on campus, if a large number of them were seriously affected, the task to repair them all before classes begin Aug. 25, might be hard to achieve, according to Post.

While the impact on the Chico State campus has been muted, elsewhere in the world the worm has been sorely felt.

According to the AP, across Asia and Europe, it struck many businesses as they opened and workers logged on.

Graham Cluley, a technology consultant with Sophos PLC in Britain, said his company started getting reports about the infection from Australia and then in Europe.