Al Qaeda Cyber Attack Threatened

The government issued an alert Thursday to U.S. stock market and banking Web sites about a possible Internet attack from a radical Muslim group, but said the threat was unconfirmed and seemed to pose no immediate danger.

The notice was issued after officials noticed a posting on a "Jihadist Web site" calling for an attack on American financial web sites in December, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke.

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The Web site calls for attacks against American economic sites in retaliation for Muslims being held at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which houses prisoners accused of ties to terrorism groups, said another government official.

The site called for attackers to use viruses that can penetrate Internet sites and destroy data stored there.

Good security measures, updated virus and spyware protection, and common sense can go a long way to averting a major hit, and even if the threat is exaggerated, it is a good idea for corporations and financial institutions to review their security procedures and protocols, including backup information just in case things go sour.

Honor the threat.