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Mimos Should Formulate Effective Systems To Warn And Protect Internet Users Against Viruses Or Worms Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong after trying to avoid "ILOVEYOU" and "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs" in the e-mail. 7 May 2000 | |||||||
| Since 5 may 2000 the computer virus ILOVEYOU has caused panic in the world. There are nine variations with many permutations of the virus including Mother's Day, Very Funny or Joke. This worm has hit millions of files such as those at the Pentagon and the Secretary of State Office, USA, resulting in damages amounting to tens of billions of US dollars. If Pentagon, the US military nerve centre, can be attacked, other establishments are just as vulnerable (if not more). After all, Internet began as a US military system over two decades ago. After the stampede, Mimos has warned that the bug is still dangerous. Mimos emergency response team chief Raja Azrina told businesses that they might not be aware that the virus had affected them until many hours later. It appears that none of about 800 organisations on Mimos's mailing list has reported any attack by the virus. That Mimos emergency response team responds after receiving an e-mail is a good thing. It is not enough. If possible, the team should work out a more effective warning and protective system to help all Internet users to combat viruses and other types of assault by hackers. Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Philippine police | |
said that they might nap the ILOVEYOU virus perpetrator within 12 hours. The suspect is believed to be a 23-year-old person, staying in a Manila suburb. We hope they succeed in catching the culprit. It seems that there will be a summit by seven industrialized nations in Paris next week, discussing Internet crimes and the ways to prevent hackers. Since viruses affect the whole world, there should be a world summit on them. The National Information Technology Council, NITC, should help look for measures to combat viruses and hackers. Its concern is the National Information Technology Agenda, NITA. Fighting these cyber criminals and viruses is scarcely on the agenda. Maybe, NITC thinks that all it has to do is to develop IT, oblivious of ciber crimes. If Malaysian computers are not hit by the love bug, then we are lucky. This does not mean that we shall not be attacked. After Chernobyl, Melissa and ILOVEYOU in the last few months, there will be many more. Anti-virus software may not be so effective. Such organisations as Criminal Investigation Unit, Mimos, NITC and Multimedia Super Corridor Development Corporation, MDC, should pay more attention to overcoming computer viruses and hackers.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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