Microsoft says it is prepared for an attack by computers infected with the MyDoom worm. A similar attack shut down the SCO Group Web site on Sunday.
MyDoom and MyDoom.B, which first surfaced last week, have rapidly infected up to a million PCs worldwide. Both variants were designed to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks on the SCO Web site on Sunday, with MyDoom.B also designed to attack the Microsoft Web site today.
However, Microsoft says MyDoom.B infected fewer machines than the original MyDoom. Other security experts report that it also appears as if a programming error was made in MyDoom.B, which would result in only around 7% of infected machines attacking Microsoft at the same time.
The software giant says it is ready for any onslaught. "There are things that we can do depending on what kind of traffic we see," says Mike Reavey, a security program manager at Microsoft`s security response centre.
Users having difficulty reaching Microsoft`s home page at http://www.microsoft.com can go to http://information.microsoft.com, says the company. SCO is advising visitors to go to http://www.thescogroup.com.
Meanwhile, Central Command says in its "Dirty Dozen" list of 12 worst viruses for the month that MyDoom accounted for over 77% of total confirmed infections for January.
"In only a few days, the hefty volume of circulating MyDoom e-mails caused pandemonium for computer users worldwide," says Steven Sundermeier, VP of products and services at Central Command.
Related stories:
MyDoom downs SCO site
MyDoom casts network gloom
Bigger price on MyDoom author`s head
Share