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"Code Red II " Kept at Bay in China
Millions of computer users across China were warned on August 8 that a frightening virus has hit dozens of systems and caused Internet traffic jams in Beijing.
Still, the Code Red II bug that wreaked havoc on economic activities in the United States and Europe hasn't spun out of control in China, said Zhang Jian, chief engineer of National Computer Virus Emergency Response Centre.
"We are skating on thin ice, but reports from leading anti-virus firms and research institutions have found only a small number of hiccups," Zhang said. "There was not a pandemic."
Xia Ji, a manager with the anti-virus technology maker Kingsoft Co Ltd, said some clients, including some global firms in China, have been harmed by the virus, a more forceful sibling to the original Code Red bug that sprung up in June.
All were back to normal after quick fixes, Xia said.
The virus began spreading through the Internet on Sunday, moving 400 times faster than the original virus, experts said.
Microsoft is providing a quick fix download for Windows NT and 2000 operating systems. Users running Windows 95 or 98 are not vulnerable, experts say.
However, the crisis is not over. Experts warned that more vicious versions of the virus are yet to come.
The latest report from Symantec Information Technology Ltd, another anti-virus software giant, said vulnerable servers will be the easiest targets and could slow down Net-surfing speeds.
Worse, the affected server will become a new source of contagion that can infect others, giving hackers convenient access to classified databases with information on credit cards and other private matters, the report said.
"Computer users have to get protection and upgrade their operating systems as soon as possible. Complacency will lead to another nightmare," Zhang said.
China is home to 10.2 million Internet-equipped-computers as of the end of June but only about 1 million have anti-virus software, a recent survey showed.
Beijing Internet user Liu Yuanhong admitted he is still lax on protection.
"Yes, I know that there are many bugs out there like the 'I Love You', 'CIH,' and 'Merry Christmas' viruses, but I have thought that I'll be the lucky guy who passes by unscraped," Liu said. "And I think the bugs are more aimed at business websites, not personal users like me."
Such attitudes prove more education is needed, said Liang Hong, an anti-virus expert in China.
Sources: China Daily
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