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Virus Alerts |
 This Site will attempt to keep up with new inovations and updates of current computer virus information. There are more than 10,000 new and variations of computer virus written a month. The necesesity for up-to-date current software to combat this onslaught on your computer system is apparent to most computer users. Current Nasties new e-mail types: Threadworm virus seem only interested in Microsoft products and you may not get these virus if you use Netscape or any other browser, possibly. There are many other browsers to choose from. Most people do not realise that they have choice. Note: This does not mean that you won't be infected or trojaned by viri because you use other browsers. Luv You virus utilises MS Outlook. Mellissa virus utilises MS Outlook. Thread-worm virus need no attachments to e-mails. bad sector virus Do you have some new bad sectors on your hard drive? Do you have bad sectors that move? This virus will evade most if not all anti-virus agents as it looks like a bad sector and is left unscrutinised. Formatting hard drive will not neccessarily remove this virus as it remains in memory and is formatted back onto the hard drive (as allocation units or bad clusters) (even with switches). The sectors can move to predefined locations. Capabilities unknown at this stage. Not too hard to remove, if you know how, .. maybe. If you thought that was a bit over the top, I don't blame you. But, even better than that, .. invisible bad sector virus. Your format will save bad clusters or allocation units and reformat them back on your hard drive. Even with a new hard drive. 3 April, 2000 - Firkin will call ‘911’. New and dangerous thread-worm virus calls ‘911’ and destroys data on your PC! 24 April, 2000 - A virus pretends to be a cure against "Chernobyl" virus. 26 April, 2000 - "Chernobyl" virus. 27 April, 2000 - Chinese Internet-thread-worm virus. 5 May, 2000 - New modifications of Love Letter thread- worm virus. 19 May, 2000 - New variation of the LoveLetter virus. 26 May, 2000 - Cybernet: Melissa-style virus infects both Word and Excel files and spreads via the Internet. 28 May, 2000 - MELISSA.BG - new modifications of "MELISSA" macro-virus. 30 May, 2000 - FireBurn. Another variation of ILOVEYOU virus. 5 June, 2000 - Script Viruses. Internet-Worm KakWorm at Top of World’s Virus Prevalence Charts 6 June, 2000 - Hello! Who’s speaking? – The Virus! reports of the appearance of a new virus "I-Worm.Timofonica," spams Mobile Phones. 12 June, 2000 - TIMOFONICA Virus: 15 July, 2000 - "Smash" virus will try to destroy your hard drive. Hackers and Denial of Service Denial of service attacks on some sites on the Internet have raised security issues especially in the e-trade and security fields as well as parts of the general community. Total cost of servicing Cyber/Net Warfare incidents World-wide for 1999 exceeded $37 Billion. February, 2000, sites at Yahoo, Amazon, CNN, E*Trade, MSN and ZDNet were temporarily taken out by hackers. Attacks can cost firms millions in lost revenues, security upgrades, down-time, etc .. 1999, hackers disabled systems of Ministry of Defence (U.K.) and Nato for 48 hours. US hacker MagicFX broke into eBay, the largest online auction site. Guessing passwords, MagicFX managed to access and modify system software, intercept log-in identities and passwords, read users' keystrokes and amend eBay's Web pages. June 18, Network damage when hackers used Floodnet to block and/or crash Websites. March - June this year, pro-Serbian hackers infiltrated government and military sites, FTSE-100 companies, 2 (at least) UK Internet service providers, universities and e-commerce companies. Hackers from Russia, Serbia, Latvia, and Bulgaria sent e-mails containing embedded viruses capable of deleting files from hard disks, via hijacked mail transfer systems. Some attacks targeted as many as 100,000 systems simultaneously. Damage was caused by Mellissa, Chernobyl and ExploreZip virus attacks on many Companies and individual Internet users. August 30, 1999. Hackers Unite group accessed Hotmail's systems, cause a big drop in Microsoft's share value. September 1999, United Loan Gunmen (ULG) accessed the Nasdaq stock exchange network. Nasdaq also reported some 'hiccups' last month, but has not disclosed details. January, a group known as East European Syndicate accessed online music vendor CD Universe and tried to blackmail the parent company, eUniverse. The group stole 300,000 credit card numbers and atempted to sell them over the Internet. 1999, 1,700 serious recorded Internet/Cyber attacks in the 1st 6 months cost businesses world-wide more than $7bn. These types of attacks can cost firms millions in lost revenues, security upgrades, down-time, machines, parts and supposedly secure information. Its possible that Co.'s don't know much about the Year 2000 software they had installed or who wrote the software used, so how can they trust the code used? Unwary network administrators could/would dismiss sustained/continuous attempts to take ownership of systems as Year 2000 glitches. Different Categories of Attacks Net attacks can fall into several different categories. New Categories of Risk New categories of risk are appearing. This could include credit card information, login names, passwords, and just about any or all information held by that system or network. Most net attacks involve guessing passwords, exploiting security holes in operating systems and security programs. Forging Internet protocol addresses, hijacking log-in sessions, exploiting source routing options in operating systems and many other information transgressions are possible. Attacks are increasing at rates mostly not recorded (especially domestic). Many incidents go unreported by Companys worried about bad publicity or unable to detect breaches. Remote Control Trojan virus software and the many variants has greatly multiplied the risk of intrusions and security violations. Trojan variants or any type of virus can be sent into any company networks via e-mail, lie undetected, and continue to export vital information to locations anywhere in the world via the backdoor intermittently. Newer, more sophisticated variants of Trojans and virus' (new versions) are released constantly in a multitude of ways. Cameras, microphones connected to computers may/can be transmitting internal conversation and images to remote addresses anywhere in the world. All customer credit card records, passwords, log-ins, personal digital material, spread sheets, personnel details may also be exported out of the company in bursts lasting a few seconds each at anytime. Popular Trojans are Netbus and Back Orifice 2000 (and variants). There are 50 or more including netbus, girlfriend, fixit, master's paradise, gate crasher, hackers paradise, back door, netspy etc. Many are usually disguised as hundreds of games, screen savers, pictures, animations, holiday greetings, upgrades and many harmless looking files that can be sent to unsuspecting business users by e-mail. Most Anti-virus toolkits have problems detecting any new virus(especially) and most of the trojans and their variants and, new strains. Also, most trojans have bots that will seek out what type of virus destruction utility you use and dis-able it (also when dowloading updates) for looking for a particular virus, .. it. Most firms and Co's feel secure after running their vdu's and not finding anything. Administrator re-assigning, name changes, default setting changes, installations (or re-) at bootup of the system, video/audio information transmitting are all possiblities. Attacks now, are more sophisticated than years before. They include forging Internet Protocol addresses, hijacking of open terminals, or login sessions so your not able to log on to the Internet. Most of serious electronic attacks take place against financial institutions, multi-nationals, major on-line businesses, but are highly covert and rarely become public knowledge or spoken about. Most standard technology solutions are not efficient enough to combat sustained electronic attacks from these types of trojan assaults and intrusions. Back Orifice type modules may/can embedd themselves in your system and lie undetected for months/years before exporting sensitive information to a remote address anywhere on the planet to intruders who cover their tracks in many, many ways. There are stories and jokes about when upgrading (trojans) to new versions. This means the trojan has stayed resident (in a machine or network) for a year or more and is time for an upgrade. Using invisible system drives, directories and files, hunted child porn promoters utilise infected machines and networks to aquire $150,000 a month or more depending on many variables, from unsuspecting (unaware) accomplices and their machines. Cost of disabled and destroyed computers and down time through major worldwide cyber/net warfare incidents exceeded $35 bill. for 1999. Inability of a Company to trade on line can affect millions of that sites users as well as interruption to that Company's business interests on-line and off-line. Back Orifice 2000 (new version) module released in July. This Trojan and its many variants will be a growing and unpredictable concern, as well as many other means of intrusions. Each new strain of trojans and viri makes anti-virus tools obsolete the second they are released. E-mail attacks, normally not detected in time, are not discussed by the victims or organisations for fear of share price collapse or more attacks that exploit the same vulnerabilities. Security policies should prioritise immediate action and foster strong encryption, tracing, tracking, pursuit and interception techniques. Data Recovery Data recovery may take days or in some cases may not be possible at all with these types of virus or trojan or CMOS virus attacks. Directors need/should and are required to be aware of the Data Protection Act requirements, the effects of exposing their business information to the Internet, and the after-affects of their Company's information loss. Global losses this year from major virus attacks will exceed $20bn. Virus like Melissa, Explore.zip, and Chernobyl as well as many other types of intrusions and breaches of security are likely. Co's need to ask themselves whether they can get back on-line after an attack, and how long?. New strains of virus, threadworm virus and trojans could take out systems (down time) for as much as 48 hours or more. [depending on back-up systems, hardware and security options systems and techniques catered for by the Company]
Virus Alert Reference Index
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