Code Red begins Internet attack

The Code Red Internet worm has begun to take hold and has infected at least 22,000 websites, fuelling new fears of a slowdown on the worldwide web.

US officials said the infection rate seems to be on a par with the worm's first attack on July 19th, but they remain hopeful that enough computers downloaded the necessary anti-virus technology to avoid major interruptions.

Code Red was due to begin an assault on websites worldwide at 1am today, but if failed to show its effects until later in the day.

The worm scans the Internet for vulnerable websites before installing itself and overloading the sites with useless information.

It also automatically dials the White House website, jamming its server. In July, Code Red only had one day to spread before it was programmed to attack the White House.

This time around, the worm has more time to get a grip on the Internet before it begins its assault on the White House.

The FBI has reported that signs of the virus have been found throughout the world.

"Early reports of activity spanning the entire globe, including the United States, indicate the worm has gone active and is presently spreading throughout the Internet, according to an FBI statement.