MyDoom slams China

2004-02-02 14:32

Beijing - The MyDoom worm, described as the most prolific to hit cyberspace, has affected about 200 000 computers in China, state media reported on Sunday.

"Just as the Lunar New Year celebrations are coming to a close, many computer users in China are waking up to e-mail boxes full of trouble," the Xinhua news agency said.

As early as last week, the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Centre, in charge of virus protection, said it had received reports from hundreds of users affected by the worm, according to state media.

While the MyDoom worm causes no apparent damage to computers, it installs a program that could allow hackers or others to control host PCs for malicious purposes.

A low level of awareness and a widespread absence of efficient anti-virus software make China's 78 million online population easy prey to worm attacks.

Last year's Sobig.F worm was estimated to have infected 30% of all Chinese computers hooked up to the Internet, or around 20 million. MyDoom is estimated to be the biggest worldwide, although not yet as big as Sobig.F in China yet.

- AFP