Hacker arrest prompts warning

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A 17-year-old from Wellington has been charged with using a prolific "Trojan" virus to hack into other people's computers.

But the arrest last Friday has raised concerns that not enough people are using anti-virus software.

Electronic Crime Lab national manager Maarten Kleintjes said thousands of computers nationwide were infected with the "Subseven" Trojan-style virus without their operators' knowledge.

"The virus has been around for a while but this [arrest] is a wake-up call that it's happening in New Zealand."

Installing virus checkers and personal firewalls was the only way to prevent hackers gaining control of your entire computer and snooping around things such as bank account and credit card details, Mr Kleintjes said.

He said a hacker had used the Subseven virus to gain access to those accounts after people inadvertently downloaded it when visiting websites.

Known as a "Trojan horse", the virus installs itself on computers and sits waiting for a hacker to seek it out using another program.

"Basically they knock on the door of your computer to see if it has the virus."

If it does, the hacker can then gain access and spy on a lot more than e-mails.

"If you've got a web camera they can turn it on and see what you're doing in your house," Mr Kleintjes said.

"Or if you have a microphone like a lot of laptops do, then they can listen to what's going on."

The advent of on-line banking and on-line shopping made the virus particularly dangerous as people's financial details could be laid bare.

The Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6), due to be passed next year, would make unauthorised access to a computer an offence.

The unemployed Wellington youth has been charged with altering a document with intent to defraud.

In August, Aucklander Andrew Garrett was sentenced to 200 hours' community service for obtaining internet access passwords using the "Back Orifice" Trojan virus.