Worst Computer Virus 1: Storm Worm

The latest virus on our list is the dreaded Storm Worm. It was late 2006 when computer security experts first identified the worm. The public began to call the virus the Storm Worm because one of the e-mail messages carrying the virus had as its subject “230 dead as storm batters Europe.” Antivirus companies call the worm other names. For example, Symantec calls it Peacomm while McAfee refers to it as Nuwar. This might sound confusing, but there’s already a 2001 virus called the W32.Storm.Worm. The 2001 virus and the 2006 worm are completely different programs. The Storm Worm is a Trojan horse program. Its payload is another program, though not always the same one. Some versions of the Storm Worm turn computers into zombies or bots. As computers become infected, they become vulnerable to remote control by the person behind the attack. Some hackers use the Storm Worm to create a botnet and use it to send spam mail across the Internet. Many versions of the Storm Worm fool the victim into downloading the application through fake links to news stories or videos. The people behind the attacks will often change the subject of the e-mail to reflect current events. For example, just before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a new version of the worm appeared in e-mails with subjects like “a new deadly catastrophe in China” or “China’s most deadly earthquake.” The e-mail claimed to link to video and news stories related to the subject, but in reality clicking on the link activated a download of the worm to the victim's computer. Several news agencies and blogs named the Storm Worm one of the worst virus attacks in years.

3. Answer the questions:

1. What computer viruses do you know?

2. Who created Melissa?

3. What virus is the most dangerous?

4. Who created Sasser and Natsky?

5. When did the last version of Storm Worm appear?

4. Match the captions (1-4) with the pictures (a-d):

1) A secure website can be recognized in two ways: the address bar shows the letters https and closed padlock or key is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

2) You have to type your username and password to access a locked computer system.

3) This program displays a message when it detects spyware and other unwanted soft that may compromise your privacy or damage your computer.

4) Private networks use a software and or hardware mechanism called a firewall to block unauthorized traffic from the Internet.

a.			b.
c.			d.

5. Solve the clues and complete the puzzle:

1) Users have to enter a __________ to gain access to a network.

2) A ___________ protects a company intranet from outside attacks.

3) A ____________ is a person who uses their computer skills to enter computers and networks illegally.

4) ___________ can infect your files and corrupt your hard drive.

5) You can download __________ from the Net; this type of software is available free of charge but protected by copyright.

6) Encoding data so that unauthorized users can't read it is known as ___________.

7) This company uses _____________ techniques to decode (or decipher) secret data.

8) Mostis ___________ designed to obtain personal information without the user’s permission.

6. Read and translate the text:

The History of Hacking

ü 1971 – John Draper discovered that a whistle offered in boxes of Cap’n Crunch breakfast cereal perfectly generated the 2,600Hz signal used by the AT&T phone company. He started to make free calls. He was arrested in 1972 but wasn’t sent to prison.

ü 1974 – Kevin Mitnick, a legend among hackers, began hacking into banking networks and altering the credit reports of his enemies. He didn’t expect that his most famous exploit – hacking into the North American Defense Command in Colorado Springs – would inspire the film War Games in 1983.

ü 1981 – Ian Murphy, a 23-year-old known as Captain Zap on the networks, hacked into the White House and the Pentagon.

ü 1987 – The IBM international network was paralysed by a hacker’s Christmas message.

ü 1988 – The Union Bank of Switzerland almost lost £32 million to hackers. Nicholas Whitely was arrested in connection with virus spreading.

ü 1989 – A fifteen-year-old hacker cracked the US defence computer.

1991 – Kevin Poulsen, known as Dark Dante on the networks, was accused of stealing military files.

7. Answer these questions:

1. Which hacking case inspired the film War Games?

2. When did Captain Zap hack into the Pentagon?

3. Why was Nicholas Whitely arrested in 1988?

Grammar Section