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Winny The Rue: Japanese Virus Exposes File Sharers
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2006-03-28
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It's no secret the Japanese take their work home with them. Many live in company apartments that further blur the boundaries between their professional and personal life. But for the past two years, a computer worm has exposed the sensitive information of every field - and the man with the skills to stop it is facing jail time.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Japanese habit of loading work-related data onto personal computers at home has caused a severe problem. A popular file-sharing program called Winny is being exploited by a virus dubbed Antinny.
Antinny works its way onto a computer through the file-sharing application (intended for music and video sharing) and then uploads information onto the Internet. The LA Times says that everything from military secrets to celebrity phone numbers have been published online.
"Perhaps most embarrassing have been leaks from Japan's Self-Defense Forces, including data on surface-to-air missile tests and details of ‘Battle Scenario Training' for a simulated crisis on a transparently code-named ‘K Peninsula.'"
Although, that information seems suspect unless it was written in English. In Japanese, there is no simple "K" sound, but there is a "Ko." And the word for Korea is not "Korea."
The virus has published medical records, school reports, and perhaps as embarrassing as the military's leak - police information. Police officers had to sign a pledge they wouldn't use Winny, a software used for extensive copyright violation.
The developer of the Winny software is in court facing charges over the program. He charges back that his arrest has delayed his ability to develop an anti-virus patch.
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