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Expert Says Computer Viruses A Y2K Threat
Brad Liston ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - Add a rash of new computer viruses to the list of Y2K headaches that could await the world on Jan. 1, a leading technology researcher said Tuesday. More than 30,000 threats from computer hackers and virus writers who say they will release new viruses to herald the new year and the new millennium have been logged by the FBI and other law enforcement groups, Lou Marcoccio, worldwide research director at the technology consulting firm Gartner Group said. "Most of these threats will probably amount to nothing," Marcoccio told Reuters after addressing a community banking industry convention in Orlando. "But if just five or 10 viruses are released at the same time, that would overwhelm the ability of ... companies that produce the fixes. It could cause substantial productivity losses." In the case of the Melissa virus earlier this year, most computer users, whether individuals or corporations, were able to protect their e-mail and messaging systems because code writers could replicate the virus and distribute the fixes before the virus' release date. "But these companies can't work on 10 fixes at once," Marcoccio said. Most computer viruses are the work of amateur hackers who are known to one another and gain status by releasing new and successful viruses, he said. The date, Jan. 1, 2000, presents a very appealing target date for such viruses. "A lot of these guys don't even care if they get arrested. They just want to be remembered," Marcoccio said. Marcoccio was in Orlando to speak to the America's Community Bankers annual convention. He told the group that a Gartner Group survey of 14,000 people showed that 67 percent of all Americans say they plan to buy seven to 18 days of worth of food and other supplies within three days of Jan. 1. � Copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or dissemination of the material provided by Reuters is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters Limited. http://www.xtra.co.nz/homepage/technology/main/0,1194,Technology%3ANews%3EY2K+News %3A52293,00.html |
