Worm Infects Millions of Computers Worldwide - NYTimes.com

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.html?_r=1&hp

By JOHN MARKOFF

A new digital plague has hit the Internet, infecting millions of  
personal and business computers in what seems to be the first step of  
a multistage attack. The world’s leading computer security experts do  
not yet know who programmed the infection, or what the next stage will  
be.

In recent weeks a worm, a malicious software program, has swept  
through corporate, educational and public computer networks around the  
world. Known as Conficker or Downadup, it is spread by a recently  
discovered Microsoft Windows vulnerability, by guessing network  
passwords and by hand-carried consumer gadgets like USB keys.

Experts say it is the worst infection since the Slammer worm exploded  
through the Internet in January 2003, and it may have infected as many  
as nine million personal computers around the world.


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