Tech Shout!

A new virus has been doing the rounds on business networks since March 3, 2007. Called the RINBOT computer virus, this virus is being thought of as a creation of a hacker who allegedly bears a personal grudge against the leading anti-virus software maker, Symantec.

If the RINBOT virus spreads rapidly, it could possibly cripple the business networks of many big U.S. corporations. This virus targets the MS SQL servers. Basically, the RINBOT computer virus affects all systems that run on Microsoft Windows including Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT and Windows XP.

According to Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos, “Traditionally hackers always went after Microsoft’s anti-virus programs. But now they are increasingly targeting other commonly used programs such as Symantec programs and others.” He also added that the current version of the RINBOT computer virus was the seventh one to have hit PCs. The first time this virus hit computers world wide was in March 2005.

Once the RINBOT computer virus is in your computer, it will spread quickly creating a bot or a zombie network without the user being aware of it.

“Without you knowing it, hackers will use your computer for a variety of purposes like sending out spam, or distributing denial of service attacks, or even blackmailing other Web sites,” Cluley stressed. “There was a case where hackers blackmailed a gambling site and said they would bring down the site for a few days unless they were paid thousands of dollars.”