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DATE=2/18/2000 TYPE=SPECIAL ENGLISH FEATURE TITLE=SPECIAL ENGLISH IN THE NEWS - COMPUTER ATTACKS NUMBER=7-21200 BYLINE=PAUL THOMPSON DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ARDITTI TELEPHONE=619-2585 CONTENT= This is ________with the VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS. Earlier this month, several companies that do business on the Internet computer system were electronically attacked. The attackers sent huge amounts of useless electronic mail to the Internet Web sites of these companies. The effect was to slow or stop the ability of the companies to do business normally. Such actions are known as "denial of service" attacks. The companies say they may have lost millions of dollars because they were not able to provide goods and services during the attacks. Most of the companies were able to correct the problem in about three hours. The victims of the attacks included some of the largest and most successful companies on the Internet. They include Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon.com and E-Trade. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation immediately began to investigate the electronic attacks. Government and private computer-security experts started to search for electronic evidence left by those responsible. The investigation soon spread with help from law enforcement officials in Germany and Canada. Earlier this week, FBI Director Louis Freeh reported progress in the investigation. He said law enforcement officials were looking at several persons suspected of being involved with the electronic attacks. Mister Freeh also said he was very pleased with the help given to federal agents by private industry and computer experts. President Clinton met this week with computer industry leaders to discuss the electronic attacks and the problem of computer crime. They also discussed ways to protect the Internet from future attacks. President Clinton and the industry leaders agreed there is no need for greater federal control of the Internet in order to increase security. On Wednesday, Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Freeh appeared before a special Senate committee that deals with computer crime. Mizz Reno and Mister Freeh said government lawyers are going to need new laws to help federal investigators search for evidence of electronic crime. They also discussed increasing the punishment for those who are caught and found guilty of such crimes. Mister Freeh also asked that the FBI be permitted to work with fewer restrictions in international investigations. He said computer crime is almost always an international problem. Senators Patrick Leahy and Kay Bailey Hutchison already have said they will offer new legislation for stronger punishment of computer crime. Senator Hutchison said her bill will ask that a person found guilty of such a crime be sentenced to prison for at least ten years. IN THE NEWS was written by Paul Thompson. To learn more about the Internet and its history, listen this Wednesday to the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS. This is _____________. 18-Feb-2000 15:26 PM EDT (18-Feb-2000 2026 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .