Attack of the Zombie Computers Is Growing Threat

Everyday, computer users at home and work receive dozens, even hundreds, of messages that range from the threatening to the nonsensical. Skilled hackers can secretly install programs on personal computers, banding them together to reproduce more unwanted messages. A recent menace is stock tips: Computers pass along free tips on penny stocks; then the ringleader, who has already purchased shares, waits for prices to increase even a few cents before cashing out. Other programs scan ordinary messages, searching for personal or financial data. One analyst suggests that the so-called botnot programs are on about 11 percent of the more than 650 million computers connected to the internet, reports an article in “The New York Times.” The spike in unwanted messages could ruin the internet as a basic tool for health-care, finance and other industries, with problems compounded by internet servers and computer makers ignoring the diminished security. Trust is an essential element for any communication tool, including the internet. – YaleGlobal