Security news
Security news18 July 2001
Sophos six-month summary of virus activity
Record number of new viruses detected and protected against by Sophos in the last six months
Sophos, a world leader in corporate
Sophos's research highlights the importance of safe computing practices and the need to keep
For the first six months of 2001, the top ten viruses (as recorded by Sophos's helpdesk) are as follows, with the most frequently occurring virus at number one:
| Position | Malware | Percentage of reports | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W32/Magistr-A |
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| 2 | VBS/VBSWG-X |
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| 3 | W32/Apology-B |
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| 4 | W32/Hybris-B |
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| 5 | VBS/SST-A |
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| 6 | VBS/Kakworm |
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| 7 | W32/Navidad-B |
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| 8 | W32/Badtrans-A |
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| 9 | W32/Flcss |
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| 10 | VBS/LoveLet-AS |
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| Others | 28.4% | |||
"The highly destructive Magistr worm accounted for more reports to our support desk than higher profile viruses such as Homepage and Anna Kournikova," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos
In runner-up position the Homepage worm spread rapidly around the world in May 2001, redirecting infected users to pornographic websites.
At number three in the chart, the Apology worm is particularly devious since it prevents access to websites containing
Despite the media frenzy surrounding its arrival, the Anna Kournikova worm came only fifth in the top ten, accounting for 7% of all calls. The Kournikova worm proved to be something of a "shooting star", infecting millions of people over a few days, but rapidly dying away.
Other developments in the first six months of 2001 included:
- The detection of the first viruses (FunnyFile and Choke) to attack instant messaging services highlighted the need for increased user vigilance and for businesses to remember the importance of desktop
anti-virus software. - Virus hoaxes continued to cause panic with threats of the SULFNBK 'virus' striking on 1st June 2001. Sophos urges computer users to double-check whether an virus warning is genuine or not by visiting a recognised
anti-virus website for confirmation. - The news in June that the suspected author of the Kournikova worm is to face prosecution in the Netherlands represents a positive indication that the authorities are prepared to take action against those responsible for virus distribution.
- The emergence of the Ramen worm in the wild during January reminded Linux users that they are not immune to virus attack.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
