Computer worm slows worldwide traffic

New York - The worldwide web has been brought to its knees by an internet 'worm'.

Networks through Asia, Europe and America were shut down in what experts said was the worst attack on the Net in more than 18 months.

Traffic across the globe slowed dramatically as the 'SQL slammer' clogged the spread of information.

Cash machines, airliners and email accounts were all hit.

Bank of America, one of the nation's largest banks, said many customers could not withdraw money from its 13,000 ATMs.

The origin of the programme is a mystery, investigators said.

It targeted a previously identified weakness in Microsoft's software to shut down around 200,000 powerful computer servers.

"It's very fast and very effective," said Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering at the California-based Web security company Symantec.

Around 20% of the data traffic being sent across the Internet was lost in transit in the US.

The SQL Slammer has drawn comparison to the Code Red worm, one of the most costly security threats to the Internet that struck in the summer of 2001. -- Sky News

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