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looking for. 1.
Lax attitudes perpetuate the spreading of viruses 2.
Frequency of attacks rises sharply in HK 3.
Close to Home 4.
Official guidelines on Sars 5.
Take better care of hospital workers 6.
Wheeler
1. Lax attitudes perpetuate the spreading of viruses
ROMY
ARAMBUTO, SCMP 29 April 2003 Older
computer virus strains will continue to spread across loosely secured networks,
even as more pernicious infections are expected to erupt this year. Anti-virus
specialists said the most persistent virus incidents during the last two years
involved the mass-mailing Klez and Nimda worms. The
"staying power" of these viruses was attributed to large numbers of
infected home computers, some of whom inadvertently pass the infection on to corporate
networks. Luis
Corrons, head of Panda Software's Virus Lab, said the persistence of viruses like
Klez was proof that many individual Internet users and corporate networks did
not have their systems adequately protected. "The
evolution of virus-creation techniques is forcing users to take a different approach
to computer security," Mr Corrons said. "Today,
it is not only necessary to have reliable anti-virus software with daily updates
and quality technical support services, but it is essential to keep up-to-date
with the latest security issues and install patches released by software producers."
A vicious variant
of Klez disrupted businesses worldwide last spring. Nimda wreaked similar havoc
in September 2001. These
viruses also represented a new pattern of behaviour. Previous infections, such
as the "I Love You" virus, spread quickly but also petered out swiftly.
Addie Luk, general
manager for Hong Kong at anti-virus software vendor Trend Micro, said worms like
Klez and Nimda were capable of multiple methods of transmission. Techniques
include e-mailing themselves, searching for open network systems, copying themselves
to unpatched or vulnerable Web servers, and via file-sharing applications. Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant for anti-virus vendor Sophos, said nobody
could predict what viruses will show up in the coming months. The
one sure thing, however, is that there are plenty of malicious programs prowling
the Internet already. Mr
Cluley said Sophos, like other anti-virus firms, had tracked these viruses for
several years and found that their numbers continued to swell. There
were about 80,000 viruses in existence and more than 1,000 new strains are discovered
every month, he said. William
Quilindo, managing director for Greater China at management systems firm BSI Pacific,
said anti-virus vendors usually developed patches in advance of attacks and made
them available to the users. Yet
he noted that computer viruses could spread because of organisations' failure
to ensure that their network security was up to date. The
latest threat is a mass-mailing worm known as W32/Coronex-A, which e-mails itself
to all contacts in infected Outlook address books and attempts to dupe recipients
into opening an attachment that supposedly offers details about atypical pneumonia.
"E-mail
security must remain a high priority for every business [this year]. E-mail has
become a gateway for billions of business transactions per year, yet most companies
continue to leave their servers wide open to unknown threats," said Mark
Sunner, chief technology officer at managed e-mail security firm MessageLabs.
2. Frequency of attacks rises sharply in HK
DANYLL
WILLS , SCMP 29 April 2003 Computer
viruses are attacking Hong Kong businesses far more frequently, according to local
Internet security specialist Network Box. Michael
Gazeley, co-founder and managing director of Network Box, said recent analysis
of incident data gathered from customers showed the number of attacks had more
than doubled - from an average of 15,000 a week last year to about 38,000 just
last week. Network
Box is a Hong Kong-based supplier of Internet security appliances to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Mr
Gazeley, who is also managing director of the Star Computer City and Technology
Shop companies in Kowloon, said the attacks were led by an old nemesis - Klez.
"If you
look at the attacks, half of them are from the Klez virus and the trend is increasing,"
he said. "This is very odd, because with Klez the anti-virus signatures have
been available for a long time." A
precise identification, or signature, of how this malicious code operates enables
anti-virus software firms to help their customers automatically stop the virus
in its tracks and prevent it from spreading. "If
the attacks are going up it must mean that more and more people are being infected,"
Mr Gazeley said. It
also meant individuals and organisations were failing to implement sufficient
security measures, he said. The
original Klez worm was first identified in October 2001. The
first reported case of a Klez infection was in China in April last year. Soon
after, the worm spread throughout Asia, North America and Europe. Hong
Kong computer networks first came under attack from the mass-mailing worm, which
disables basic anti-virus programs, on April 18 last year. This
virus - known as Klez.K, Klez.I, Klez.H or Klez.G, depending on the anti-virus
organisation tracking it - was a variant of the Klez.F worm spotted in February
of the same year. The
existence of various versions of Klez also showed a trend for virus authors to
write new and improved variants of an existing malicious program, much like making
a movie with multiple sequels. The
Klez payload - or damaging feature - is to replace legitimate executable programs
on a computer with its own malicious code. This ensures that it will launch again.
Mr Gazeley said
it would be extremely dangerous for SMEs to neglect network security issues amid
the economic slowdown. "I
think now more than in living memory, people in Hong Kong are working overtime
to ensure that their businesses survive," he said. "The
irony is that should they get hit by a virus . . . it could mean the end of their
business. When the whole world is going great, it is an inconvenience, but in
these times it could be the end of a business." A
survey from research firm International Data Corp last year found that Internet
security accounted for between 8 per cent and 14 per cent of information technology
spending among organisations in Asia and was set to grow this year. Those
prospects, however, have apparently been dimmed by the lingering sluggishness
of the economy, the war in Iraq and the public health crisis caused by the atypical
pneumonia outbreak. Paul
Serrano, senior marketing director for the Asia-Pacific at NetScreen Technologies,
suggested that there was still plenty of upside for network security improvements
in the region. "Asia
is still in the infrastructure deployment phase and is about a year behind everybody
else," he said. "However,
that's not necessarily a bad thing. Asia will catch up very quickly and it will
be in better shape, having watched what the United States and Europe have done,
copying the good and avoiding the bad." NetScreen,
based in California's Silicon Valley, has found that its range of Internet security
appliances are finding favour with both large firms and SMEs in the region. About
45 per cent of NetScreen sales are generated in the Asia-Pacific. The company,
ranked third by IDC in global security appliance sales, has its regional headquarters
in Hong Kong. Mr
Serrano said Asian organisations had the opportunity to deploy proven network
security technologies for a fraction of the price they would have paid two years
ago.
3. Close to Home
SCMP,
29 April 2003 
4. Official guidelines on Sars
SCMP,
29 April 2003 General
advice for adults and children
Avoid going to high-risk places (all hospitals) and areas with too many people.
Wear an N95 or surgical mask if going to cinemas, theatres and concerts. (Surgical
masks are more comfortable but must be disposed of when wet. N95 must be worn
properly without any leak. Single-layered paper masks are not effective).
Avoid restaurants that are too crowded. Avoid sharing tables with strangers.
Avoid unnecessary travelling to Sha Tin, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay, Tseung Kwan O
or areas with many infected cases and their neighbouring areas.
Keep a mask with you and wear it in crowded places such as on public transport,
and in shopping malls and markets.
Avoid kissing and minimise shaking hands in social encounters.
Wash hands with soap regularly after touching any objects suspected to be contaminated.
Wash hands before and after each meal and avoid touching your eyes, nose and lips
with unwashed hands or fingers.
Children and students should wear masks to school and when they go out, but must
ensure they do not touch the external surface of the masks and wash hands after
touching them.
Since all government and private schools are temporarily closed, parents can consider
minimising their children's outings by observing the above guidelines.
Advice
for individuals with suspected symptoms
High fever, muscle aches and chills or shivering are symptoms of significance;
doctors should be consulted if they last more than 24 hours. Runny noses and sore
throats are not symptoms of significance.
This is also the season when people easily catch a cold or flu. Patients with
symptoms of a common cold should not jump to the conclusion that they have Sars,
but should consult a nearby doctor as soon as possible.
If you have prominent symptoms of Sars, consult the closest doctor of your choice
and wear a mask at all times. If Sars is diagnosed, you will be transferred to
a designated Health Authority hospital. Also make sure people who accompany or
transport you are wearing masks.
Take chest X-rays and blood tests as recommended by the doctor, and also take
repeated X-rays as instructed. Rapid tests are not indicated for everyone, and
are only prescribed by specialists in particular hospitals.
If you are suspected of having contracted Sars, your family members and accompanying
people must also wear masks when they are close to you.
Cancel all social engagements and rest at home if Sars cannot be totally ruled
out by your doctor.
Make a note of your activities in the past 10 days, and the people with whom you
have had personal contact who may have been exposed to infection. Inform your
doctor accordingly.
Keep a list of your close contacts before and after the onset of symptoms, and
inform your doctor if an Sars diagnosis is made.
Please also follow the guidelines by the Department of Health regarding confirmed
contact with Sars patients. Hotlines
- who to call for help
Department
of Health (pre-recorded health education hotline) 2833 0111
Department of Health hotline for general advice (during office hours) 2961 8968
For
regular updates and health advice, visit the Department of Health's Web site at:
www.info.gov.hk/dh
For international updates and advisories, visit the World Health Organisation
Web site at: www.who.int/csr/sars/en/
or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/
5. Take better care of hospital workers
CHRISTINE
LOH, SCMP 29 April 2003 The
Hospital Authority has formed a new taskforce to co-ordinate the medical response
to the Sars outbreak. This begs the question: what level of co-ordination among
hospitals and doctors was there previously? After all, the Hong Kong outbreak
occurred at the beginning of March. It
is now clear from various reports that there are big differences in infection
rates among health-care workers in different hospitals. This must have something
to do with how each hospital has managed its confirmed and suspected Sars cases,
as well as its infection-control policy, staff training about infection-control
procedures and the adequacy of protective clothing, not to mention keeping staff
morale high. For
example, at Queen Mary Hospital, the speedy response to implement infection controls
and other measures, such as the setting up of isolation wards for confirmed and
suspected Sars patients, the closure of wards to visitors, and the mobilisation
of all hospital workers to learn about preventive measures, have proved very successful.
It is well known
within medical circles that the decision-makers at this hospital made sure everyone,
including cleaning staff, went to a series of talks about prevention, and continuous
reminders were sent out to ensure there was no lapse in maintaining a high level
of awareness. In the case of Princess Margaret Hospital - Hong Kong's infectious
disease hospital, with a capacity of 56 isolation beds under normal operation
- it would appear from various reports that it coped well until the number of
cases rose dramatically from the middle of last month, thereby overwhelming its
capacity. By April 12, it had admitted 510 Sars patients. Health-care
workers at Princess Margaret Hospital began to fall ill only at the beginning
of this month. It seems clear that even for a specialist unit, when it is stretched
beyond reasonable limits within a short time the system starts to fray. Workers
were exhausted, and there was apparently insufficient protective clothing to go
round. In fact, it is a tribute to staff that they have done so well under such
trying circumstances. In
the case of the Prince of Wales Hospital, the decision to give the first Sars
patient a bronchodilator via a jet nebuliser - used for the treatment of pneumonia
- four times a day for six days, spread the virus to many health-care workers,
medical students, other patients and visitors. The hospital claimed that the decision
not to close the ward until March 27 was made by the Hospital Authority. By April
12, 95 hospital staff and 105 patients and visitors had been infected. It
needs to be remembered that these are three of Hong Kong's larger public hospitals.
Its is clear from the chronology of events that, initially, hospitals decided
independently on when to apply tough infection-prevention measures. Public hospitals
are regional, in that they serve the population in their immediate vicinity. They
are all, however, under Hospital Authority management. What
remains murky is the role of the authority, the Department of Health and health
secretary Yeoh Eng-kiong in co-ordinating efforts. For example, how is it possible
that the Princess Margaret Hospital had to deal with so many patients when it
should have been clear it would be overwhelmed? Was it too much for the decision-makers
(whomever they are) to consider how Hong Kong's resources could best be used to
fight Sars? Why are the hospitals running out of protective clothing? The Hospital
Authority, at one time, said Hong Kong's hospital system could handle up to 3,000
Sars cases. Really? To
put it another way, can the high infection rate of health-care workers be attributed
to poor management decision-making? And if so, what are the lessons we must learn
to stop the vicious cycle of hospital workers being infected? To break the cycle,
it is obvious that the infection rate in hospitals must be brought down. Chief
Executive Tung Chee-hwa has said he wants a "zero infection rate" among
hospital workers - but we are still some way from achieving that. What
is potentially worrying is what could still happen. This month, Sars patients
were sent to other, much smaller hospitals, such as the United Christian Hospital,
which took in about 150 people in just a few days. Despite their most valiant
efforts, smaller hospitals will not find it easy to deal with Sars patients because
of the very high level of awareness and resources involved. It seems they are
not doing well enough to control the rate of infection among hospital workers.
The policy question is: Was it wise to transfer a large number of patients to
these hospitals in the first place, and who made those decisions? The
latest move is for Tai Po Hospital to care for 170-180 Sars patients. But what
will be the consequences of this decision? The Hospital Authority, Department
of Health and Dr Yeoh owe the public a clear response on what measures they have
taken to ensure that smaller hospitals can deal with the situation. What are they
doing to share the knowledge of those who have learned lessons at larger hospitals?
Is it not better to concentrate patients at two or three larger hospitals? Shouldn't
patients be sent to larger hospitals even if they do not live in the immediate
vicinity, so the workload can be spread and the best treatment offered to as many
people as possible? Please, let us have unambiguous answers. Christine
Loh Kung-wai heads Civic Exchange and is a former legislator.
6. Wheeler
SCMP,
29 April 2003 
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