Klez worm most prolific virus of year. (Virus Notes).Sophos says that the Klez worm has accounted for almost a quarter of reports to Sophos's customer support department during 2002. Klez topped Sophos's monthly chart for seven months in succession this year - officially making it 2002's most prolific virus. The second most common virus was the Bugbear worm, which makes the number two slot even though it was only detected in October 2002. In third place comes Badtrans, the password stealing worm which was first detected in November 2001. Nine of the viruses in the 2002 top ten are mass mailing Windows 32 viruses, the exception being the Elkern virus which is dropped by Klez. 87% of all reports of infections during 2002 concerned Windows 32 viruses. Sophos has detected 7,189 new viruses, worms and Trojan horses It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome.
1. W32/Klez (Klez worm) 24.1% 2. W32/Bugbear (Bugbear worm) 17.5% 3. W32/Badtrans (Badtrans worm) 14.6% 4. W32/Elkem (Elkern virus) 4.6% 5. W32/Magistr (Magistr worm) 4.2% 6. W32/MyParty (MyParty worm) 2.2% 7. W32/Sircam (Sircam worm) 2.0% 8. W32/Yaha (Yaha worm) 1.9% 9. W32/Frethem-Fam (Frethem-Fam worm) 1.4% 10. W32/Nimda (Nimda worm) 1.2% Others 26.3% Comment: Unlike previous chart toppers like the LoveBug, which disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived, Klez is the ultimate in slowburning worms. It has managed to consistently infect infect /in·fect/ (in-fekt´) 1. to invade and produce infection in. 2. to transmit a pathogen or disease to. in·fect v. 1. users throughout the year. Protection against Kiez has been available for as long as the worm has been circulation. The only possible explanation for its continued 'success' is that some users are habitually HABITUALLY. Customarily, by habit. or frequent use or practice, or so frequently, as to show a design of repeating the same act. 2 N. S. 622: 1 Mart. Lo. R. 149. 2. neglecting to update their anti-virus software anti-virus software n → Antivirensoftware f .' Hoaxes cause confusion The JDBGMGR virus hoax A computer virus hoax is a false email message warning the recipient of a virus that is going around. The message usually serves as a chain e-mail that tells the recipient to forward it to everyone they know. - an email duping Duping refers to the practice of exploiting a bug in a video game to illegitimately create duplicates of unique items or currency in a persistent online game, such as an MMOG. users into deleting a legitimate file from their PCs - was first spotted in April 2002 and has topped Sophos's hoax Hoax Balloon Hoax, The news story in 1844, reporting the transatlantic crossing of a balloon with eight passengers. [Am. Lit.: The Balloon Hoax in Poe] Piltdown man missing link turned out to be orangutan. [Br. Hist. chart every month since May. Indeed, 'JDBGMGR' was the second most searched word on Sophos's website in 2002, beaten only by 'Klez'. Although not viral, this and other hoaxes waste bandwidth, clog up mail servers and confuse con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. users, much in the same way as bonafide viruses. Users can find out how to implement an anti-hoax policy at www.sophos.com/safecomputing/ |
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