The security community and the federal government are on alert for what could be another evolution in computer viruses. The newest variant of the Bugbear virus — W32.Bugbear.B@mm — is designed to specifically target financial institutions. When it infects a computer in the financial community, the virus logs keystrokes, steals passwords and sets up backdoor Trojans. The mass-mailing worm put the security community on alert because it’s the first known widespread virus to target a particular industry, according to Sharon Ruckman, a senior director at Symantec, Corp., the anti-virus company that initially discovered this capability in Bugbear. Symantec has since raised the warning rating on Bugbear from the third level to the fourth out of five. The financial sector was warned about the virus last week and has suffered minimal impact, according to David Wray, a spokesman for the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security. The division is monitoring Bugbear, assessing the damage it’s wreaking and alerting the appropriate people and companies. Full Story