Truth About Computer Security Hysteria

Experts: 'shut down the entire Internet as a precaution'

A powerful coalition of U.S. government and industry groups contemplated advising citizens to stay off the Internet completely to avoid being infected by Nimda. In a private conference call conducted [18 Sep 01], members of the coalition — which includes representatives of such government organizations as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Justice, as well as corporations including Microsoft, UUnet, and Network Associates — expressed concern that the new worm could cause serious damage if not stopped promptly... Because Nimda is a complex worm that can infect both servers and desktop Windows computers with any of at least four different means, some members of the group suggested simplifying their warning about Nimda. "If you browse an infected Web site, you could become infected. That's most likely to scare them into patching their software," suggested one government security expert attending the call. But that notion was quickly shot down. "You're going to cause unmitigated hell. Sites like Amazon and eBay are going to say you people are creating panic and pandemonium," cautioned one official.