over 130 computer virus's set to trigger at 1-1-00, 12 are extremely dangerous...no antidote as yet, csis estimates a global disaster besides y2k bug. http://www.csis.org/html/y2kw9.html

-- don (don29681@aol.com), May 25, 1999

Answers

From the same article (CSIS Y2K Watch, Y2K Computer Viruses, April 29, 1999):

Malicious Viruses:

The most dangerous "strains" of millennium viruses are being developed by groups that are small, well financed, and located outside of the United States. In some cases, the programmers who design the viruses have set up companies in neutral countries that do software/computer consulting. Profits from their legitimate activities are then used to finance more nefarious projects.

The malicious millennium viruses, if left unchecked, could cause serious damage to various areas of the international infrastructure, especially the international telecommunications infrastructure. One virus, for example, specifically targets major companies' telephone Electronic Switching Systems, randomly rerouting calls. Three other malicious viruses will actually lock a processor in a divide by zero loop, which, if left running for a sufficient amount of time, will overheat the Central Processing Unit, causing it to melt down and effectively reducing the computer to scrap metal. Similarly, a different virus will wreck monitors by tampering with the video card, causing them to overheat and be destroyed.

Another virus effects applied industrial systems that monitor key processes such as conveyer belt operations, the temperature regulation in power plants, labeling of food products, and even payroll systems. What the virus does is disregard the true information, inserting random quotes where information is requested. This could cause the total recall of a product because it was falsely labeled to be safe for children, when in actual fact it is not.

Lastly, there are two viruses that affect the Domain Name Service (DNS) automated directory assistance for the Internet, linking the name of a web site with the corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) address. These two viruses are non memory resident parasites, meaning that they need an application that is integrated in the DNS server in order to exist. These parasite viruses shuffle the directory systems (the resolution tables) so that the web sites no longer match their IP numbers. As a result, for example, rather than reaching the CNN web site, a totally different web site is accessed. As systems security expert, Sam Schubert, points out, "depending on which DNS server is targeted, viruses of this nature have the potential of crippling the Internet."

-- Ron Rodgers (RonRodgers@Resilience2000.com), May 25, 1999.

more cheery news in an already lloooonnggg week ...
Betcha that draft conscription forced round-up of computer programmers comes to pass ...

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), May 25, 1999.

I was wondering if this CSIS article would ever turn up here. The line that intrigues me the most is this one:

"Three other malicious viruses will actually lock a processor in a divide by zero loop, which, if left running for a sufficient amount of time, will overheat the Central Processing Unit, causing it to melt down and effectively reducing the computer to scrap metal."

What on earth is a "divide by zero loop"? What CPU has ever been designed in such a way that the software (machine code) it "understands" is capable of overheating it, causing it to "melt down"?

Answers to these questions invited.

-- Richard Dymond (rjdymond@x-stream.co.uk), May 26, 1999.

Re processors melting down - it is very easy nowadays because both the processor operating voltage (used to be 5 volts, now can be lower than 3 volts) and clock speed are under software control in a modern PC. The faster the clock, the more heat is generated. The higher the voltage the more heat is generated. So if you mess with these settings you CAN melt down the processor. What the effect of a CPU intensive looped instruction executed in high speed on-chip cache memory would be, I cannot say for definite, but such a loop would result in higher dissipation because of its operating without wait states, delays etc associated with referring to off-chip memory.

-- Mike (mike.booth@eu.anritsu.com), May 26, 1999.

Yep. Its do-able. Just think 'real fast, real hot'. Heat is the single greatest enemy of integrated electronics. 1/1/00 is on a weekend. If people leave their PC's on in the office over the weekend then there is a greater chance for this to work as there will be no intervention to reboot the PC by the frustrated user. Ditto above for video card settings. Monitora are MUCH more susceptable to this type of abuse.

-- David (C.D@I.N), May 26, 1999.