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M$ Sasser Worm crashes UK Coastguard computers
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=518242

Worm crashes Coastguard computers

By Charles Arthur, Technology Editor
05 May 2004

Computers at the Coastguard Agency were among millions of PCs hit yesterday by a new worm that spreads over the internet.

The Sasser worm, which exploits a flaw in Microsoft's Windows software, disrupted work at the Marine and Coastguard Agency, forcing staff to use pencil and paper to find ships and locate distress calls on maps.

The worm, which appeared over the weekend, began spreading rapidly yesterday as people returned from the bank holiday and brought laptops that had been infected while surfing the internet, or turned on vulnerable machines inside offices.

Analysts believe Sasser could be as damaging as the Blaster worm that spread worldwide last August, infecting an estimated eight million computers and costing businesses billions of pounds.

Henry Purbrick, watch assistant at the Falmouth Coastguard, said the worm meant they could not use their computer system. "Luckily we can still use telephones and radios. It just means we have to rely on paper and pens," he said.

Anyone with an infected machine should visit Microsoft's website to download a software "patch" to fix their system.

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Boy oh boy, the Brits are havin' fun with M$ crapware, judging from this breathless endorsement.

Wonder how many Dept. of Homeland [In]Security computers were similarly compromised?

Micro$hat's "Secure Computing Idiocy" and "Lower TCO, you bet!" programs are just too much, eh?
Posted by: dicktaurus@...   Posted on: 05/05/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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No problems here.  DragonBRockin | 05/04/04
It does not affect...  fgreyfox | 05/04/04
Correction!  DragonBRockin | 05/04/04
Still no problems here.  DragonBRockin | 05/04/04
No problems here either  TWRX | 05/05/04
No problems here either  CobraA1 | 05/06/04
re: No problems here either  cbradshaw@... | 05/06/04
Point, counterpoint...  Martin Marvinski | 05/07/04
"Without security software"  Yagotta B. Kidding | 05/04/04
Put a router between you and the broadband connection  Confused by religion | 05/04/04
re: Put a router between you and the broadband connection  V Sanders | 05/06/04
Bingo!!! (NT)  Martin Marvinski | 05/07/04
Turning off unnecessary services...  wonderbored | 05/04/04
Not really  Eggs Ackley_z | 05/05/04
well duh  V Sanders | 05/06/04
well...  Martin Marvinski | 05/07/04
Simple solution  Chad_z | 05/05/04
M$ Sasser Worm crashes UK Coastguard computers  dicktaurus@... | 05/05/04
Oh man I did not knew people are so slow in UK  computer_man | 05/05/04
Sasser is a money maker for PC technicians  robspcfixerupper@... | 05/06/04
Nah...  Martin Marvinski | 05/07/04

What do you think?

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