|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
   |
IBM'S I-WAY IMMUNE SYSTEMCOMPUTER VIRUSES ONCE SPREAD SLOWLY, VIA TAINTED diskettes. But over the Internet, a virus can infect millions of PCs in hours. Now, IBM has devised a software ``disinfectant'' modeled on the human immune system. Each subscriber to IBM's AntiVirus system--mainly administrators of local-area networks (LANs)--will have a LAN-monitoring PC that acts like a vigilant white blood cell. When the PC spots a virus on the LAN, it whisks the infected file off to computers at IBM's research labs. If the computers recognize the virus, they'll zip back an antidote. Beginning next year, when a new virus crops up, they will be able to ``culture'' it and use artificial intelligence programs to concoct a cure. Says AntiVirus head Steve R. White, the system can ``detect new viruses better than our human experts.'' EDITED BY NEIL GROSS By Otis Port
|
Updated June 14, 1997 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1996, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use