Firms to Pull Plug on Hackers; Many companies blocking e-mail, shutting Web sites to stop viruses

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Benny Evangelista, Henry Norr, Chronicle Staff Writers

Thursday, December 30, 1999

Hoping to prevent computer glitches, viruses, hackers and other potential Y2K-related afflictions, many companies are planning to block incoming e-mail or even unplug their Web sites over the New Year's holiday.

EBay, the leading online auction house, will shut down its Web site from 3:30 until 6 p.m. tomorrow and again from 11 p.m. tomorrow until 3 a.m. Saturday to ``double check'' its computer systems.

``We're primarily concerned about our internal, mission-critical processes,'' not threats from hackers or virus writers, said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. ``We just want to make sure our customers don't experience any problems.''

Meanwhile, Quantum Corp., a Milpitas computer disk drive maker, plans to hold all incoming e-mail to its 7,000 workers worldwide and disconnect its Web site from 6 p.m. tomorrow until noon on Saturday.

The company wants to scan e- mail for malicious viruses and catch any Y2K problems on its Web site, said Sean Curran, Quantum's desktop services manager.

``At noon, when all the scanning is done and if we don't see any big attacks, we'll give the green light,'' Curran said.

Pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Wellcome PLC of the United Kingdom also plans to shut down its e-mail systems to thwart publicity- seeking virus perpetrators.

HACKERS KEEP OUT

Earlier this week, several U.S. government agencies, including the Pentagon, announced they will disconnect some Web sites to keep hackers out.

In California, the state Public Utilities Commission is taking its Web site out of commission from 1 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Monday as a ``precautionary measure.''

Most of the big e-commerce sites, including Amazon.com, plan to remain online throughout the weekend.

But some companies say they will take steps to prevent e-mail viruses from infecting their computer systems.

Network Associates Inc., which makes virus-detection software, said a half-dozen of its corporate customers plan to cut off e-mail for up to 12 hours before and after the new year.

UNNECESSARY PRECAUTION

But security experts warn that pulling the plug on Web sites and e-mail may be an unnecessary and potentially dangerous reaction to Y2K hysteria.

When e-mail is blocked, it is usually bounced back to its sender and often resent automatically until it's delivered. If enough undeliverable e-mail starts bouncing around the Internet, it could clog up the system and cause a slowdown.

``We've seen nothing to indicate that hackers are planning to do anything in particular,'' said Roger Thompson, who tracks computer viruses and virus writers for the International Computer Security Association. ``The bad guys have tried a couple of things, but their attempts to do something have largely been deflated.''

Thompson, the ICSA's director of malicious code research, said shutting off e-mail systems on the weekend will delay viruses from reaching their destination only until Monday or Tuesday when employees return to work and read their e-mail.

Companies would be better off if they let e-mail flow in as usual and let antivirus software detect and destroy viruses, Thompson said.

)1999 San Francisco Chronicle Page A1

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@AOL.COM), December 30, 1999