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Fighting against internet zombie-PCs

Internet service providers face mounting pressure to keep their networks free of pests, and not only for the benefit of their customers but also for the good of the Internet in general.

In the next few months, ISPs in the United States will begin receiving reports on the zombies, or PCs open to control by hackers, that lurk on their networks. The data will be sent out by the Federal Trade Commission, which said in May that zombies have become such a serious problem that more industry action is required.

Analysts said that if service providers resist the call and take a hands-off approach, people could lose their trust in online activity--and the consequences of that could be severe.