Name: Fighting viruses, defending the net
Uploaded: 2011-07-19T14:27:57Z
Duration: 17 min 17 s
Description: It's been 25 years since the first PC virus (Brain A) hit the net, and what was once an annoyance has become a sophisticated tool for crime and espionage. Computer security expert Mikko Hyppönen tells us how we can stop these new viruses from threatening the internet as we know it.

It's been 25 years since the first PC virus (Brain A) hit the net, and what was once an annoyance has become a sophisticated tool for crime and espionage. Computer security expert Mikko Hyppönen tells us how we can stop these new viruses from threatening the internet as we know it.

Fighting viruses, defending the net

The global rise of computer viruses has shifted from teenage pranks to a vast industry of organized crime, exploiting the very connectivity that makes the Internet powerful. One infected floppy disk in 1986 has led to tens of thousands of new malware samples appearing every day. Criminal gangs now profit by stealing credit cards, infiltrating infrastructure, and selling access to compromised computers worldwide. Without urgent international cooperation, digital crime could threaten the future of the Internet itself.