Exhausting ordeal when worms attack!<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta
\nvmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
The past few weeks have been exhausting for IT departments in
\nIndonesia. After the recent enactment of the Indonesian
\nIntellectual Property law, which caused many corporations to
\nscramble to ensure compliancy, an Internet worm attacked
\ncomputers worldwide.<\/p>\n
The "MSBlast" worm, which reached its peak on Aug. 15, caused
\nmany PCs and servers to be rendered practically useless.
\nTargeting Microsoft Windows operating systems, the worm had
\nmanaged to exile computer users from their documents, programs,
\nnetworks and the Internet. Those using the Linux operating system
\nor Apple's Unix-based Mac OS X were not affected.<\/p>\n
MSBlast was followed by another worm (dubbed Welchia, which
\nironically was created to target computers infected with
\nMSBlast), a virus (Sobig.F, which sends out spam that clogs up e-
\nmail systems) and an announcement of yet another vulnerability in
\nMicrosoft's Internet Explorer web browser application.<\/p>\n
All in all, nearly a million computers worldwide were
\ninfected, including those at an American nuclear power plant, the
\nAir Canada national check-in counters, the U.S. Navy intranet
\nsystems and the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles, to name
\nbut a few, not to mention countless small and medium business
\nenterprises.<\/p>\n
Microsoft, to its credit, had issued a software patch to
\nprotect against the MSBlast-type of threat in July but many users
\neither did not know or chose not to install it. During the height
\nof the worm infection, users couldn't even access the Internet,
\nlet alone download the patch. In one case, a Jakarta-based IT
\nconsultant had to ask a friend to download the software for him,
\non a Red Hat Linux machine!<\/p>\n
Many companies had to take their network offline in order to
\nclean and patch the systems. Business came to a near standstill
\nas documents and e-mails could not be created or sent. It seems
\nthat computers are no longer communications tools to be used for
\nbusiness but are actually the lifeblood of the company. It seems
\nthat we have gotten so used to using these tools that we have
\nforgotten how to do things the "old-fashioned" way, such as using
\nmanual typewriters and faxes, which are admittedly slower but
\nstill effective.<\/p>\n
What worries IT analysts the most is not that the world has
\nsurvived these latest computer attacks, but what virus coders
\ncould do in the future. The fact that MSBlast can infect a
\ncomputer without users double-clicking an e-mail attachment,
\nwhich is usually how viruses or worms attack, opens a new era of
\nvirtual assaults.<\/p>\n
How can we avoid this in the future? The basics still apply:
\nback up your data, patch your computers early and often, and
\nsecure your computers with antivirus software with the latest
\nviral signatures. Considering the effectiveness of MSBlast in
\nentering computers via the Internet without any user interaction,
\na firewall is highly recommended, especially for those with
\ncomputers constantly connected to the Internet.<\/p>\n
Download.com (www.download.com) has an abundance of firewall
\nprograms (some free, some for a small charge) that can be
\ninstalled on your personal computer. Some of the more popular
\nprograms are Norton Personal Firewall, BlackIce Defender,
\nZoneAlarm and Sygate's Personal Firewall. Corporations should
\nconsider high-grade firewall solutions from Cisco or Computer
\nAssociates.<\/p>\n
Microsoft Windows has a built-in Windows Update feature that
\ninforms users of the latest security patches. Activate it to let
\nyou know what patch is available and for what purpose. You can
\nthen decide whether you want to install it or not.<\/p>\n
Businesses should also consider diversifying their operating
\nsystems. As shown in these latest attacks, having a homogeny of
\ncomputer systems could cause problems if they all go down. It may
\nbe a good idea to use different systems (such as a Linux box or a
\nMac OS X computer) in certain departments, which could be used in
\ncase of emergency.<\/p>\n
One story floating around the Internet showcased how a man,
\nwho fought the IT department tooth and nail for an Apple
\nPowerbook laptop, helped his company grab two important contracts
\nwhen all the other computers were offline. A working computer and
\na phone line was all it took.<\/p>\n
But perhaps the most important weapon against this new form of
\ncyberterrorism is information. IT Managers and even regular
\ncomputer users should keep up with the latest news in the IT
\nworld. CNN's IT section (www.cnn.com\/tech) and CNet
\n(www.news.com) are great places to start.<\/p>\n
People who drive cars or use heavy machinery are trained and
\nlicensed. Although computer users do not need to be registered,
\nif you consider the amount of damage a PC can cause to the
\nInternet these days, you would want at least to keep ahead of the
\ngame.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/exhausting-ordeal-when-worms-attack-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}