Islamic Virus Attacks Pornographic Websites
London, Asharq Al-Awsat- A British expert said the latest virus to spread through internet was a Trojan that infected computers and prevented users from accessing pornographic content. Known as “Yussuf Ali- A”, the virus substitutes obscene images with Quranic verses in Arabic and Persian, as interpreted by Yusuf Ali himself.
Graham Cluley, Head of Corporate Communications and Senior Consultant at Sophos, a leading British company in computer security told Asharq al Awsat in a telephone conversation he discovered Yusuf Ali- A in Iran after reports a number of computers had been infected in that country. He did not have information from any other country in the Middle East.
Sophos Labs, considered one of the world’s top centers for detecting and analyzing virus threats and spam emails, issued a warning against this Trojan which spreads through electronic messages without replicating itself like other viruses and attacks Microsoft Windows. It was first detected on Sunday afternoon.
The Trojan lays dormant whilst examining the websites opened by the user, with a special attention on the active window. Once words of a sexual nature such as teen, xxx, or sex, appear on screen, Yusuf Ali- A becomes active; it minimized the window and replaces the text and pictures with verses from the Quran.
If the webpage remains open, the Trojan then displays a button, which says, “Click here to exit”. As soon, as movement is detected, the words, “Oh no, I’m in a cage”, are flash onscreen in English alongside three buttons, “Log off, Shut Down, and Restart” which close the offending website.
Cluely said some people might judge this virus as a force for good as it protects internet users from pornographic websites but cautioned that the majority still prefer to use legal software to a hacker’s latest creation. He added the Trojan might also block other websites adolescents might want to examine such as social and medical sites.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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