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Blueyonder suspends Code Red infected users

Tough but fair?

Updated Cable broadband outfit blueyonder is taking a tough line on dealing with the Code Red by suspending consumers found to have been infected by the worm.

In a notice to customers, blueyonder states that infection of some of its customer's machines "has at times resulted in poor performance for our users" and poses a "significant risk of failure of service".

Because of this the Telewest-owned outfit announced it will scan its cache log files to identify customers infected with Code Red, who will then find their service suspended in order to protect other users.

"Customers found to be infected with the Code Red virus will be suspended immediately and have their accounts suspended until they have patched their machines accordingly," the notice states.

The program was introduced yesterday and so far Telewest has identified 51 users who have been infected with Code Red whose machines have been "hammering Telewest's caches". These users have received an email informing them the plug has been pulled on them and telling them how to get their machines reconnected. They'll also receive a letter to the same effect.

Our first instincts are to support what Telewest has done as a matter of enforcing some measure of civic hygiene in Internet use by its customers. Though some might dislike the approach, if it works, so much the good.

The rider we'd put on this one is that Telewest's procedures in identifying infected machines need to be sound and the technical support it has offered helps users work through any snags. ®

Update

Many readers have pointed out that Telewest may have put users in a Catch 22 position by asking them to download the required patches, when their Internet service has been cut off.

We got through to a Telewest spokesman today who users whose service has been suspended can get themselves reconnected by phoning up Telewest technical support.

Tech support staff will open up a connection to the relevant Web sites and talk users through a procedure for fixing their systems.

Even while their connection is suspended, users can pick up their email remotely via blueyonder's Webmail interface or via remote access from another ISP or mail service.

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External Links

CERT advisory with links to Microsoft's patches

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