Global internet security specialist Trend Micro has welcomed the release of zombie blockbuster 28 Weeks Later in the United Arab Emirates as a way of explaining online security issues in the region.
The film became the number two motion picture at the US box office. It is a sequel to 28 Days Later, which depicted a “rage virus” causing Britain to collapse.
“For film buffs, the threat comes from ‘the infected’, who conform to the basic zombie movie genre. On closer inspection, it is striking that the thing sweeping through Britain and killing everyone is not the alien invasions or airborne infections of earlier apocalypse pictures, but a human emotion turning people into zombies,” says critic Brendan O’Neill.
It is precisely the parallels between fact and fiction that make the story so attractive to the security development team at Trend Micro. Thanks to medical parallels, computer users have come to understand the broad concept of a “computer virus” and begun taking appropriate precautions, even in areas with rapid internet adoption rates, such as the Middle East.
Nowadays the “threat landscape” has changed considerably. A favorite activity of cyber-criminals is to download a “botnet” onto an unsuspecting individual’s computer, which then allows the bot’s owner to operate such a machine by remote control, without the knowledge of its owner. A PC can be sitting in the home or office connected to the internet while performing all manner of dubious or illegal activities.
The technical term for such a machine is a “zombie” and, like the zombies in 28 Weeks Later, it can appear unchanged while losing all self-control. Typical illicit uses for a zombie can include as a spam engine, a launchpad for attacking fellow computer users – often based on a victim’s address book – or a storage centre for illegal material.
“I hope people enjoy the movie,” said Samir Kirouani, Technical Manager, Trend Micro Middle East and Africa. “As viewers are scared by fictional zombies, it gives the security industry a chance to draw attention to the real zombies, derived from captured hard-drives and stolen bandwith.”
“Pay close attention to what is happening to your PC or laptop, or you could find yourself paying a very heavy price 28 weeks later,” he added.
28 Weeks Later is on general release across the UAE.
About Trend Micro Incorporated
Trend Micro Incorporated is a pioneer in secure content and threat management. Founded in 1988, Trend Micro provides individuals and organizations of all sizes with award-winning security software, hardware and services. With headquarters in Tokyo and operations in more than 30 countries, Trend Micro solutions are sold through corporate and value-added resellers and service providers worldwide. For additional information and evaluation copies of Trend Micro products and services, visit our Web site at www.trendmicro-middleeast.com .
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