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Internet users who run the Windows family of
operating systems face a new threat to their
computer security following the widespread release
of a new piece of hacking software.
The hacking tool, which has been available on a
popular hacker Web site for more than a week,
enables people with no previous hacking experience
to gain complete access to other people's computers
over the Internet.
"There is good reason to be worried about this," says
Daniel Ayers, a network security specialist with
Netlink, one of New Zealand's largest commercial
ISPs.
"The scary thing about this is that it will enable
someone who is totally ignorant to access someone
else's machine."
Called Winhack Gold, the software exploits the
ability of Windows 95, 98 and NT computers to be
interlinked easily to form a network.
Many small businesses use the networking
capabilities of Windows to link computers without
worrying about installing a complex network
operating system. However, to connect two
computers in this manner requires that the computer
be set up to share information and in doing so the
security of the individual computers is compromised.
Computers running Windows NT are not as
vulnerable as those operating Windows 95 and 98,
but still can be accessed in a similar manner.
Single stand-alone computers running these
Windows operating systems that are not connected
to a network also are vulnerable if they are not set
up correctly.
While the vulnerability of the Windows networking
capabilities has long been known to security experts,
this new tool poses a significant risk as it allows
people to hack into other Windows computers with
the same ease as they would use a word processor.
The tool is automated, and can search through
thousands of computers connected to the Internet
until it finds those that are vulnerable.
When an "open" computer is found, the unauthorised
user can read, copy and delete any or all information
on that hard drive.
Small businesses and individual users of Windows
who previously have thought themselves to be safe
from hacker attacks should now think carefully about
how their systems access the Internet, Mr Ayers
said.
Those most at risk are businesses which have
connected Windows 95 and 98 machines together,
and who also use these machines to access the
Internet.
"This is something which will affect the grassroots
user who uses Windows 95," says Mr Ayers.
He also points out that the nature of Windows 95
means that it is difficult to tell if someone has
accessed a computer.
"It is going to be very hard for someone to know if
they have been broken into with this. There is just
about no way someone would know they have been
a victim."
The threat can be combatted in a simple manner,
however. When using Windows 95 or 98 to access
the Internet, a function called file sharing should be
disabled.
In Windows 95, this can be done by going to the
network settings in the control panel, clicking on the
box marked file and printer sharing and making sure
that neither of the options for file and printer sharing
are ticked.
Users who need to access the Internet from a
Windows 95/98 network should consider additional
security software, or even upgrade to Windows NT,
which has password protection features that also will
combat the threat.
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