Computer Virus Writers Plan Slow Spread
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| In the past, virus writers seeking fame and attention wrote their
| malicious programs to spread as quickly and broadly as possible,
| boasting to colleagues when they manage to cripple hundreds of thousands
| of computers worldwide in a matter of hours.
|
| But now, many writers are driven by money instead. They write code to
| turn the computers of unsuspecting individuals into "botnets" --
| networks for spreading junk e-mail or stealing financial data from others.
|
| [...]
|
| Network worms such as 2004's "Sasser" exploited flaws in Microsoft
| Corp.'s Windows operating system, automatically scanning the Internet
| for computers with the vulnerability and sending copies of themselves
| there. But the rapid spread also triggered rapid-response alertsa
| mong security vendors and prompted network operators to prioritize
| applying fixes to the Windows flaws.
|
| High-profile threats, often more an annoyance than an effort to set
| up armies of rogue computers, are typically contained within a
| day or two.
|
| By contrast, botnet computers can stay active for months.
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http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060925/slow_computer_viruses.html?.v=8
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