It's a thankless task being a telecoms regulator. After facing down repeated attacks by Eircom over a refusal to accept the firm's prices for its new i-stream internet product, Ms Etain Doyle has found herself the target of a slicker, smarter enemy.

The Nimda worm, which has infected global computer systems over the past week, has managed to wriggle under the regulator's firewall and knock her systems and website out of action.

The Margin, although not wishing to side with conspiracy theorists, wonders if Eircom executives may have engaged in some sort of "worm dances" lately as a means of summoning up the nasty little parasite.