Pacific leads Asian drive vs virus

The country’s leading and only multinational Internet solutions provider Pacific Internet has launched a regionwide drive to arrest the spread of a new computer virus, which has attacked the global e-mail network and reportedly damaged the files of big companies and institutions, including the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Pacific Internet president Jojie Yap said the company, in partnership with US-based security firm Trend Micro, has installed a more potent anti-virus software to trace and clean up any Sircam virus passing through its network.

"Sircam has been classified as ‘high priority’ or ‘high risk,’ which indicates that this virus is spreading alarmingly worldwide," Yap said.

Sircam perpetuates itself by masquerading as it is sent from one computer to another. The virus multiplies by taking a subject at random from a PC’s old mail and sending it out to e-mail addresses in the address book.

Nonetheless, the virus failed to damage the Pacific Internet system, which has been equipped with an anti-virus software from Trend Micro since last year.

Pacific Internet recently installed an updated software to check and delete the virus as it enters the company’s server or transmitted between or among its local terminals.

This means that the company is protected two ways as both its servers and computers are equipped with anti-virus software.

Pacific Internet is also providing its corporate clients with a toll-free, virus-cleanup service for one month, within which the company hopes to exterminate the virus or arrest its proliferation.

Individual subscribers are urged to visit the company’s website at www.pacific.net.ph to find out how they can secure a software to check and clean their PCs.

For an even higher level of security, Pacific Internet is offering virus-free e-mail services to both consumers and corporations.

"Being the biggest ISP in the Philippines and in Asia, it is incumbent upon Pacific Internet to lead in this regional effort to contain the virus," Yap said.

Pacific Internet was voted as the best ISP in the Asia-Pacific for 1999, 2000 and 2001 by leading telecom publication Telecom Asia.

In the Philippines, the company serves the biggest network of both dial-up and corporate leased-line customers.