SCO sidesteps MyDoom attack with new site
Date: February 02, 2004
Source: ZDNet
After a potent denial-of-service attack took its Web site offline, SCO has launched another URL through which to communicate with customers
The SCO Group on Monday launched a new Web site, a day after the super-potent MyDoom computer worm knocked the American software firm clean off the Internet.
The surprising severity of the MyDoom attack has sent a shiver through the Internet security community. In marshalling an army of zombie PCs -- many of whom are unsuspecting home computer users -- to silence an online target, MyDoom represents a new level of cyber warfare, security officials said.
"With such a program you could really take out any major Web site on the Internet," said Raimund Genes, European president of security software firm Trend Micro. "This is a form of electronic warfare. It's not terrorism, but it is somebody who is obviously upset with SCO."
Linux advocates object to SCO's attempts to collect license fees for the software, leading some security experts to surmise MyDoom is the work of a cyber protester.
Microsoft, another target of Linux advocates, is next in line to be hit by the worm. A variant, known as MyDoom.B, is programmed to unleash on Tuesday a similar digital barrage aimed both at SCO and at Microsoft's www.microsoft.com.
Microsoft on better ground
Security experts are more confident Microsoft.com will withstand the onslaught as its considered one of the most stable sites on the Internet. Also, MyDoom.B has infected far fewer machines than the original MyDoom.A outbreak.
On Monday, SCO launched www.thescogroup.com as a temporary Web site until the digital barrage on www.sco.com ceases.
"We expect hundreds of thousands of attacks on www.sco.com because of these viruses. Starting on 1 February and running until 12 February, SCO has developed layers of contingency plans to communicate with... customers, resellers, developers, partners and shareholders," the company said in a statement.
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