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TECH UPDATE
The first 64bit virus emerges
The first computer virus to target 64bit Windows systems has been detected by security authorities. Dubbed “W64.Rugrat.3344,” the virus is a fairly benign, proof-of-concept infection agent, according to a report issued on the Symantec website.
This threat does not infect 32bit systems and will not run on 32bit Windows platforms. It is a direct-action infector, typically exiting memory after execution, and is written in IA64 (Intel Architecture) assembly code.
The virus infects files that are in the same folder as the virus and in all subfolders, according to Symantec. Rugrat uses the thread local storage structures to execute the viral code. After running an infected file, the virus will infect files in the current directory and subdirectories. Target files are 64bit PE (portable executable) files, such as .exe.
The virus is not spreading in the wild, and the threat it poses is minimal given that next-generation 64-bit systems remain relatively rare. The vast majority of home and business systems deployed today run on 32bit platforms and thus are not affected by Rugrat. Still, users are advised to update their virus definitions to protect against this threat.
Free net encyclopedia built
An informal group of Chinese volunteers is working to build an online encyclopedia called Chinese Wikipedia to create a free source of information for Chinese internet users.
Chinese Wikipedia is a Chinese-language offshoot of Wikipedia, an online English-language encyclopedia that is also available in a host of other languages. Wikipedia is a wiki, a term that is derived from the Hawaiian word for “quick” and used to describe websites that can be edited by any reader, including anonymous visitors.
Work on Wikipedia started in early 2001 and the project now has more than 6000 active contributors working on 600,000 entries in 50 languages, according to the Wikipedia Web site, which notes the English version offers more than 260,000 entries. All of the content on Wikipedia is copyrighted under the GNU Free Documentation License, a license for free content developed by the Free Software Foundation.
India leapfrogs to 4G wireless
India aims to leapfrog to fourth-generation wireless technology, skipping 3G technology as it has not been found to be cost effective, according to Dayanidhi Maran, the country’s new minister for IT and communications.
India’s mobile telephony service providers are currently providing services based on Global System for Mobile Communications, General Packet Radio Service, or Code Division Multiple Access technologies.
“The 3G standard has been evolved, but has not proved cost-effective,” says Maran. “I therefore plan to leapfrog this generation and develop 4G technology. India has an opportunity with its large market and high technical skills to be a significant player in this field. We are going to set up a National Center for Excellence in this area.”
“I believe that for communication and IT facilities to be truly relevant in India, they will have to touch the lives of villagers,” says Maran. “There are still about 50,000 villages in India which do not have telephone facilities. I would like to see that they are all connected, preferably during the current year.”
India also plans to have a national Internet exchange through which it hopes to connect all internet service providers to achieve efficient internet traffic routing, cost reduction, and improve the quality of service for internet users in India. The country also plans to migrate to Internet Protocol version 6 by 2006. “Worldwide, IPv6 is being implemented on the Internet to accommodate increased number of users and take care of security concerns,” Maran says.
Yahoo unveils spyware blocker
Yahoo begins testing a new antispyware feature on its toolbar, allowing users to scan for and delete the small software applications often responsible for displaying pop-up ads, redirecting search results, and changing the user’s homepage, among other unwanted functions.
Currently in beta, it is available to some Yahoo users, with plans to further roll it out later this year, according to a company spokesperson.
The service allows users to identify potentially unwanted software. — Sci-tech World Report
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