Internet Server at Daejeon Government Complex Infected with Virus

The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MGAHA) announced yesterday that some of the PC and the servers at the government complex in Daejeon were infected with the virus, known as `code red` which is attacking Internet servers.

A MGAHA official said, ``Since Monday, some of the servers and the PC began to operate slowly at the Daejeon government complex. It was found out that they were infected with `code red` Currently, we are blocking the information flow of particular servers and are eliminating the virus. Servers are likely to be restored soon.``

The MGAHA notified government officials of each ministry through broadcast in the central government complex and Kwachun government complex that the PC, running either Window NT or Window 2000, or servers should be immediately separated from the Internet to block the spread of the `code red` virus, which infected servers since Monday.

Code red virus is known to infect only the PC running either Window NT or Window 2000 as the operating system. This virus either weakens the function of the system by requesting excessive information to a system or downs the system all together. Code red infected 250,000 computers and terminals, and attacked 150,000 websites worldwide within 9 hours last month.

Choi Young-Mook ymook@donga.com