We all know that love is a bug and the persons who get bitten by it become love-sick! But how many of us know that in the name of love and lovely greeting cards, millions of mighty viruses are allowed entry into as many systems, causing world-wide havoc and misery?
Look at these amazing figures!
Internet Crime Complaint Center logs a million cyber grievances! It accounts for one million infected Personal Computers. The financial loss due to these viruses exceed 20 million U.S $s! Last but not the least, over a million “Botnet” victims has been identified by the FBI Bot Roast.
The FBI had forewarned about the Valentine Day’s viruses and the imminent attack by The Storm Worm! Storm Worm is not a worm at all. It appeared for the first time in January 2007. It is in fact a “BOT” used to connect all such infected computers in a world wide network called “Botnet”.
The Internet Bots are also known as web robots. A Bot is a soft ware application that can run automated tasks over the internet. A Bot excels while performing tasks which are both simple and repetitive-at an unimaginable speed.
Using a Bot, a person can deliver personal media across the web, from multiple sources. This way a network called Botnet is created which can be controlled by a single person. One common command can be sent to thousands of computer with the speed of a lightning.
The spam E mail directs the recipient to click on a link to retrieve a greeting card. As the person clicks on the link, a malware gets downloaded into the device connected to the internet. The infected device becomes a part of the Botnet, under the control of an unscrupulous cyber criminal.
A Botnet is setup most often with criminal intentions like identity thefts and for spreading out more malwares. Each of the malwares becomes “A Trojan horse” when it manages to enter a system.
The Storm worm thrives on E greeting cards, circulated for the various holidays and celebrations. It is a mighty weapon in the hands of its creator–even though it is named deceptively as a Worm!
The number of attack mails from January 2007 (when the storm worm first appeared) to the end of May 2007 was 70,000. But the number of attack mails had crossed 20 million during the next two months. In a more recent worm flood, there were 120 million attack mails in a short span of mere five days.
The fight against the Storm worm seems to be getting out of hand, since it is specifically designed to infect as many end-user-systems as possible and bring then under the Botnet control.
The earlier campaigns against the Storm Worm lasted only for a few weeks. But the latest Storm Worm related generations are changing faster than ever before. New spasm are launched almost everyday!
Better beware of the Love-Bug and the seemingly harmless Storm Worm. You may receive a lovely E greeting card only to end up becoming a victim (of a Botnet) with a broken heart.
Visalakshi Ramani
Pages
- A Prayer
- Why these Articles?
- I. THE FIRST OF ITS KIND!
- II. SPIRIT AND SUCCESS!
- III. LUCKY ACCIDENTS
- IV. FICTION AND FACTS
- V. NURSERY RHYMES
- #05. An Introduction
- 46. Ring a Ring o’ Roses
- 47. Mary Mary
- 48. Jack And Jill
- 49. Rain Rain Go Away
- 50. Sing a Song
- 51. London Bridge
- 52. Ding Dong Bell
- 53. For Want Of a Nail
- 54. Goosey Goosey
- 55. Hey Diddle Diddle
- 56. Little Miss Muffet
- 57. Old Mother
- 58. Little Tommy
- 59. Pussy Cat
- 60. Elephant Rhyme
- 61. An Apple a Day
- 62. A Wise Old Owl
- 63. Hot Cross Buns
- 64. Twinkle Twinkle
- 65. Wee Willie Winkie
- VI. DESERT BLOSSOMS
- VII. WONDERFUL BODY
- #07. An Introduction
- 76. The Human Aura
- 77. The Homunculus
- 78. Personalities
- 79. Brain Asymmetry!
- 80. “Use it or Lose it”
- 81. Why S.A.D?
- 82. Pain Gate Theory
- 83. A Rare Disorder!
- 84. A King’s Touch!
- 85. Is Fever a Favor?
- 86. Phytochemical Boosters
- 87. Why regain weight?
- 88. How do we see?
- 89. Tasty Bites!
- 90. “Feeling Left out”?
- 91. Artificial Blood
- 92. Artificial Skin!
- 93. Is Sleep a Luxury?
- 94. Aromatherapy
- 95. Garlic Pearls.
- VIII. MIRACULOUS MIND
- #08. An Introduction
- 96. Genius and Genes!
- 97. Anima and Animus
- 98. Body Language
- 99. Types of Thinking
- 100. Types of Intelligence
- 101. Memory Techniques
- 102. Types of Listening
- 103. Selective Listening
- 104. Commonest Phobia!
- 105. Agoraphobia
- 106. The Fear Of Size!
- 107. Dreamy Discoveries
- 108. Why do we day dream?
- 109. Brain Washing!
- 110. When we tell a lie…
- 111. Escapism
- 112. PSI Phenomena
- 113. Personal Space
- 114. Why Sensitive?
- 115. Drugs and Drinks!
- IX. MATHEMAGIC
- X. SCIENCE SPECIALS
- XI. UNUSUAL ANIMALS
- XII. FLIGHTLESS BIRDS
- XIII. INSECTS
- XIV. WATER KINGDOM
- XV. GENERAL INTEREST
- 182. Bloomer.
- 183. Joyful Jacuzzi
- 184. Laudable Lipogram
- 185. The Royal Car
- 186. A Taj Mahal in U.K!
- 187. Steady as a rock?
- 188. Holy Swastika defiled!
- 189. The King of Games!
- 190. Sky Writing!
- 191. Death defying jumps
- 192. Fresh Water at Sea
- 193. Milky Myths
- 194. Pride and Punishment
- 195. Nicotiana
- 196. Soothing Sleep
- 197. Silent Movies.
- 198. The Virus Day
- 199. Popeye’s Strength
- 200. The Ten-in-One man
- 201. Fertility and Eggs
- XVI. HOME SWEET HOME
- XVII. Some Useful Info
- 211. Anniversary gifts
- 212. Birth-month-gem
- 213. Birth-Month-Flower
- 214. The Scratch Test
- 215. Gems And Planets
- 216. Week Days And Gems.
- 217. Gems for Elements
- 218. The Seven Colors
- 219. Ruby
- 220. Natural Pearl
- 221. Red Coral
- 222. Emerald
- 223. Sapphire
- 224. Diamond
- 225. Blue Sapphire
- 226. Hessonite
- 227. Cat’s Eye
- 228. Alexandrite
- 229. Coin Collectors
- XVIII. Styles of Art
- CONCLUSION.
- Reviews