Millions of computers worldwide may be infected by Sasser worm

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2004

HELSINKI (AFP) — Up to six million computers worldwide may have been infected by the Sasser worm first detected last week, including those of some large multinational corporations, Finnish Internet security firm F-Secure warned.

"Our estimate is that at least hundreds of thousands of computers have been infected worldwide, and that that number is growing," Mikko Hyppoenen, who heads anti-virus research at F-Secure, told AFP.

"Looking at network traffic, maybe up to one percent of all computers worldwide, some six million, could be infected," he added Monday.

The Sasser bug has hit several large corporations around the world, forcing them to shut down their services, Hyppoenen said, refusing, however, to name those companies due to client confidentiality....