Experts Study Developing Internet Attack
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Friday, June 25, 2004
CHICAGO Government and industry experts warned late
Thursday of a mysterious, large-scale Internet attack against
thousands of popular Web sites. The virus-like infection tries to
implant hacker software onto the computers of all Web site
visitors.
Industry experts and the Homeland Security Department were
studying the infection to determine how it spreads across Web sites
and find adequate defenses against it.
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"Users should be aware that any Web site, even those that may
be trusted by the user, may be affected by this activity and thus
contain potentially malicious code," the government warned in one
Internet alert.
The mysterious infection appeared to target at least one recent
version of software by Microsoft Corp. to operate Web sites, called
its Internet Information Server, popular among businesses and
organizations.
A spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment immediately.
Experts said the attack's effects were unusually broad but
weren't substantially interfering with Internet traffic.
"While this is significant, it has no impact on the operation
of the Internet," said Marcus Sachs, who helps run the industry's
Internet Storm Center in Bethesda, Md.
Experts urgently recommended consumers and corporate employees
to update the antivirus software on their computers, because the
latest versions can immunize visitors to infected Web sites.
The infected Web sites attempt to implant on visitors' computers
hacker software that allows others to use their computers to
surreptitiously route Internet spam e-mails.
© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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