Computer-users' laziness allows viruses to spread

As the latest computer virus Bad Trans continues wreak havoc worldwide, Australian computer experts have pointed the finger at complacent users and the use of Hotmail for almost monthly outbreaks of new worms, a news report said yesterday.

Bad Trans has infected at least 1,000 Australian computers and reached the number one spot on the top 10 global virus list Thursday, The Sydney Morning Herald daily reported.

Described software vendors as a rapidly spreading security risk, Bad Trans "sniffs" for and steals passwords on infected computers.

It also launches a "key logging" program that records every keystroke made by the unwitting typist, and e-mails it off to one of 17 destinations with a record of the time, date and user name.

"It has increased dramatically in the last two days," said Robert Mead, a spokesman for the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team operated by the University of Queensland.

The upsurge in Bad Trans infections, particularly among small businesses, comes despite a cure for the virus being available since it was discovered last week.

A spokesman for software company Trend Micro, Andrew Gordon, said: "Even though we are being hit almost once a month by these viruses, people aren't being vigilant in updating software."

Gordon clients to set anti-virus software to automatically update itself on the hour.

"Home Internet users may only power up their PC once a week, so a lot of people are ignoring the prompts that come up from the computer to update," he said.

Major are also being infected from within, as staff use popular Web-based e-mail programs such as Hotmail, which bypasses regular security software, Gordon said.

Bad Trans infects computers even if users do not double click to open the e-mail.