Sieberg: 'Code Red' could create 'traffic jam' on the 'Net

Sieberg: Only corporate users or network users are at risk

The U.S. government is warning computer users to take precautions against the so-called "Code Red" worm. CNN.com Technology Editor Daniel Sieberg talked with CNN's Leon Harris about what this means to you.

HARRIS: What is up with this? You say that home users don't have to worry about this as much as business users.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: That's right. The only people who can be targeted by this particular worm are corporate users or network users who are running a particular type of operating system and a particular type of software. So it's more of a network issue and not a home-user issue. It's very different than most viruses that are sent out in that you are not going to see it coming to your Outlook e-mail. It's not going to come in as an attachment.

RESOURCES Message Board: 'Code Red' worm      Need Protection? Use the Patch Those with a computer that requires inoculation should reboot the machine and install the appropriate Microsoft software patch. For Windows NT 4.0: Download here For Windows 2000 Professional, Server and Advanced Server: Download here Detailed instructions to use the patches are posted at: Download here

It is going to infect these types of computers that have this software running, it's going to jam up the Internet -- what they are worried about, almost like an Internet traffic jam. These corporations are the ones that need to be aware of this and update their systems.

HARRIS: If it doesn't get communicated or spread by e-mail, how does it spread?

SIEBERG: That's a good question. Because it is called a worm, it, essentially, worms its way through the Internet and replicates itself, finding a random list of computers to send it out to, essentially clogging up the Internet and forcing people to have Web performance slowdown.

HARRIS: When it gets into somebody's computer, it doesn't get inside and destroy data?

SIEBERG: Right, it doesn't destroy data. In fact, most home users are not going to be infected, because they don't have this software. They are not going to notice that it is there. What they are going to notice is their favorite site may be slowed down, traffic may be slowed down on the Internet, and that sort of thing.

HARRIS: The concern is because this thing has been dormant for a while, as I understand it. It came out once before, and now it's coming back to life.

SIEBERG: Exactly, it has a type of cycle that it goes through. It started out July 19, and it sends itself out for the first 20 days of every month. In that case, it only had one date to send itself out. Then it goes into a sleep mode, which it is in now. Then on the first of the month, it starts sending itself out again. That's in the next couple of days. That's why they are warning everyone now; in the next couple of days, they expect it to start up again, and it's got this 20-day period to send itself out again.

HARRIS: How do you know if it is on your computer?

SIEBERG: You probably won't know. You need to get a computer expert to check out your computer. Get the patch first, from the Microsoft site; it is a type of Microsoft software that is vulnerable in this case. It's good to go to the Microsoft site and get as much information as you can. These corporations can then update their computers.

Like I said, the average home user is not going to be as affected by this as previous viruses that we've seen, like the Love Bug or Melissa virus.

HARRIS: Thanks for explaining it. I'm glad somebody here can figure all this stuff out.

SIEBERG: No problem.