Sobig's Friday 3 p.m. action

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 12:27:10 -0600
> From: Franklin Seal <fseal () citlink net>
> Subject: Sobig's Friday 3 p.m. action
> To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>, Friends & family <fseal () citlink net>
>
>
> The Sobig virus is programmed to coordinate a new type of attack.
> By Anick Jesdanun, AP Internet Writer
>
> NEW YORK (AP) -- A fast-spreading computer virus already blamed for 
> slowing or shutting down E-mail systems worldwide was programmed to 
> coordinate a new type of attack, anti-virus experts said Friday.
>
> Instructions written into the Sobig virus, which began appearing Tuesday, 
> call for infected machines running Microsoft Windows to try to download a 
> program of unknown function as early as 3 p.m. Friday.
>
> "It could be a game, and all these computers would start playing a game, 
> or it could be a destructive program that immediately deletes files," said 
> Mikko Hypponen, manager of anti-virus research with F-Secure Corp. in Finland.
>
> It also might attempt to steal passwords or create rogue E-mail servers 
> for spreading junk E-mail, Hypponen said.
>
> He suggested users clean their computers with anti-virus software or turn 
> off machines if they can't run the disinfecting programs. Users with 
> firewall programs could also block UDP port 8998, the Internet opening the 
> virus uses to communicate.
>
> The attack was expected to end at 6 p.m., though the virus is programmed 
> to try again every Friday and Sunday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

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