The part I love is in the penultimate paragraph to wit: ." Tests carried out earlier this year on an oil rig and car plant, both classified as millennium-compliant, in which clocks were forwarded to the millennium date, caused up to 40% of computers to fail. " I wonder if this failure rate may more properly be the actual remediation rate or the whole thing could be a really clever marketing ploy. I guess we will know fairly shortly. Cheers, AGF

E-virus turns clocks to 2000

Mark Macaskill

BRITISH companies are being attacked by mystery hackers with a virus that dupes computers into thinking that the millennium has already arrived. The bug, which forwards internal computer clocks to January 1, 2000, is capable of crippling systems for up to three days, during which time valuable data can be stolen or wiped out.

Security software experts have been called in to combat the threat posed by the virus. They believe it is capable of overpowering almost all computers, including Y2K- compliant systems which have been deemed ready for the rollover to the new millennium.

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The virus, known as a clock-forwarding code, has been unleashed on companies in America and Europe. Experts have traced its origin to Bulgaria, Romania and Scandinavia but have been unable to identify the hackers.

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On activation, internal clocks can be forwarded months, fooling computers into thinking that software programmes and passwords, which in reality are valid, have expired.

Last month it was detected in Britain for the first time after a company reported that it was unable to access 40% of its system. It took three hours to resume operations, by which time thousands of pounds' worth of damage had been caused.

During a recent conference on electronic security held by mi2g, it was revealed that Y2K-compliant systems were also under threat. Tests carried out earlier this year on an oil rig and car plant, both classified as millennium-compliant, in which clocks were forwarded to the millennium date, caused up to 40% of computers to fail.

Small to medium-sized companies, which do not have security software to protect their central clocks, are thought to be particularly vulnerable. http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/Times/frontpage.html?1124027

-- drac (greenspanisgod@frb.giov), October 31, 1999

Answers

So much for "y2k compliancy" being the end-all solution

-- it will break (buy@stuff.while.u.can), November 01, 1999.