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To: RealMuLan who wrote (60271)	2/10/2005 5:37:16 PM
From: RealMuLan	Respond to of 74559

Cars face virus threat: IBM Eric Auchard in San Francisco FEBRUARY 11, 2005 DAILY computer security headaches such as viruses and spam threaten to spread to a far wider range of devices - from phones to car engines, a new survey has found. The report, published by IBM Security Intelligence Services, a consulting arm of the world's largest computer company, paints a picture of rampant, albeit controllable, security dangers. The survey combines data from big business customers, government security statistics and observations from some 2,000 IBM security consultants, detailing the proliferation of computer security threats in 2004 and likely next moves. THE 2004 year-end "Security Threats and Attack Trends Report" report warned against viruses that could spread to mobile phones, handheld computers, wireless networks and embedded computers which are increasingly used to run basic car functions. However, the readiness of individuals and companies to confront these challenges has also evolved, the study said. "It's difficult to say whether we are moving to a steady state," director of IBM's security strategy Stuart McIrvine said. "The threats are increasing, but consumers and businesses are getting a lot smarter." ADVERTISEMENT IBM's report draws on data from 500,000 electronic devices. It details a range of challenges that computer users faced in 2004 and extrapolates from early warning signs what sort of new threats electronics users are likely to face this year. Known computer viruses grew by 28,327 in 2004 to bring the number of old and new viruses to 112,438, the report said. In 2002, only 4,551 new viruses were discovered. Of 147 billion emails scanned by IBM for customers in 2004, one in 16, or 6 per cent, contained a virus. During 2002, just 0.5 per cent of email scanned had viruses. The average amount of spam circulating on global networks was 75 per cent, the survey found. But during peak periods, spam accounted for as much as 95 per cent of email traffic. The fastest-growing threat in 2004 was phishing - a method of enticing computer users to submit personal information or fall prey to other internet deceptions. Such emails grew 5,000 per cent last year, with some 18 million phishing attempts recorded, according to IBM. Mr McIrvine said cars were threatened by computer security threats, some malicious, others unintentional. With the average new car running 20 computer processors and about 60 megabytes of software code, the opportunity for malfunctions, wireless attacks and other security threats was multiplying, he said. Another prediction was that voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems would be disrupted. As more companies move to replace traditional phone networks with VoIP systems, eavesdropping on callers and wholesale office network shutdowns carried out by remote attackers are likely to increase, IBM warned. Reuters australianit.news.com.au