new virus

[carolinawolf]

INTERNET users were yesterday urged to take precautionary measures against a virus that allows hackers to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other personal information.

Hundreds of websites have been targeted by the virus, which exploits flaws in Microsoft Corp's Windows Internet software, according to an alert issued by the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.

The virus, dubbed "js.scob.trojan", connects people using the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser to a website that contains a code allowing hackers to record information typed into the system.

The information is then e-mailed to the anonymous attackers.

"Customers are strongly advised to take a number of precautions when connecting to the Internet," said Batelco's Internet product manager Eyad Al Maskati.

"Their Windows operating systems must be updated with the latest critical update and customers must keep their anti-virus and personal firewall systems updated through live-update features available in most of today's security software."

The latest critical update can be downloaded from Microsoft website http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.