[pchelpers] News:April 1 Internet worm is no joking matter

Computer experts fear the effect an attack by cypercriminals might have
on the Web on April Fools' Day.
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BY JORDAN ROBERTSON

SAN FRANCISCO --  The fast-moving Conficker computer worm, a scourge of
the Internet that has infected at least 3 million PCs, is set to spring
to life in a new way on Wednesday -- April Fools' Day.

That's when many of the poisoned machines will get more aggressive about
''phoning home'' to the worm's creators over the Internet. When that
happens, the bad guys behind the worm will be able to trigger the
program to send spam, spread more infections, clog networks with
traffic, or try and bring down websites.

Technically, this could cause havoc, from massive network outages to the
creation of a cyberweapon of mass destruction that attacks government
computers. But researchers who have been tracking Conficker say the date
will probably come and go quietly. 

More here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/971730.html
-- 
John Durham
Site http://modecideas.com
Server hosted on Ubuntu 4.10
Good advice is like good paint. It only works when applied.



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