Back Orifice is not a threat, security experts say

The latest version of Trojan horse, Back Orifice 2000, released on Saturday does not pose any serious threat to organisations, security experts have confirmed.

The software program, released by a group of hackers who call themselves the Cult of the Dead Cow, is named mockingly after Microsoft's Back Office Suite.

The hackers, who launched the original Back Orifice Trojan horse last summer, claim remote users can deploy the program to access and control a networked Windows based PC. It lets them see what is on the screen, install and download files, delete and edit text, view and manipulate databases and spreadsheets.

However, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at UK based anti virus company Sophos, said corporations shouldn't lose any sleep over the program.

"We don't think it is a big threat. We've got a sample and it's just a regular Trojan, not like a virus."

He continued: "Someone would have to be dumb enough to install it within a company for someone outside to be able to communicate with it."

Cluley said Sophos had had no reports of any problems following the release of the original Back Orifice program last summer.

"It is not another Melissa, the hype has been fuelled by some of the anti virus companies and the interesting name. What is interesting is that when the Cult distributed the first samples on CD, they were infected with the CIH virus. I imagine this was accidental and it just shows what incompetent software compilers they are," he said.