FBI steps up efforts to track down hackers behind attack

As the FBI steps up its efforts to track down those responsible for this week's attacks on big name websites, there are increasing fears about the vulnerability of the Internet to sabotage.

The attacks come as e-commerce, or selling goods and services over the Internet, has reached record heights in the US and is seen as having the potential for huge growth.

Increasing numbers of Americans are also involved in online trading to buy and sell stocks.

Shares in Internet activity companies weakened on Wall Street as the reports of the attacks on major websites like Yahoo, Amazon.com, Buy.com, CNN, eBay and E*Trade made headlines.

But companies which supply software to protect computers against attacks rose.

The FBI investigation widened yesterday as more resources were devoted to trying to track down those responsible.

Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno, has promised to prosecute the hackers when they are found.

Secretary of Commerce, Mr William Daley, has appealed to companies to strengthen their own security against the attacks called "denial of service".

These flood the websites of leading companies with messages so that access to them has to be temporarily closed down to ordinary traffic.

Such close-downs can cause heavy losses to the companies and to customers who may be trying to sell shares at a specific price.

The deputy Attorney General, Mr Eric Holder, refused yesterday to give details on how the FBI investigation is progressing beyond general information that a "substantial effort" is being mounted by the FBI whose National Infrastructure Protection Centre (NIPC) is co-ordinating the investigation. He said there was no indication that the hackers came from outside the United States.

Mr Ronald Dick of the NIPC said they were getting "a great response from the public" and were moving closer to finding those responsible by being able to eliminate various leads. He appealed for further information and cooperation from the private sector.

Under federal law it is a crime to transmit a code, programme or command that damages a computer in inter-state or foreign commerce.

If the damage is intentional, the penalties range from six months to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the first offence and up to 10 years for the second offence. Victims can also sue for restitution.

Internet security experts speculate that the attacks this week which could have been planned months ago by planting secret commands to be triggered later, could belong to several groups of "hacktivists".

They could be young, even teenage thrill-seekers, who have above average computer skills and plenty of time on their hands.

Another group is the so-called "cybergangs" of hackers who frequent Internet chatrooms and dare each other to commit acts of sabotage.

Then there are "activists" who are genuinely outraged at what they see as the commercialisation of the Internet.

One newspaper has reported that federal officials have received an 18-page letter from a group claiming responsibility.

Mr Dick has refused to comment on this.