1 October 2002
Top ten viruses and hoaxes reported to Sophos in September 2002
For September 2002, the chart is as follows, with the most frequently occurring virus at number one:
"Having topped the virus chart since March 2002, Klez-H is surely the Bryan Adams of the malware world. However, there is no reason for anyone to endure Klez-H. All users need to do is update their anti-virus software," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus. "The Except Trojan Horse - which exploits a vulnerability in the Microsoft VM ActiveX component - is this month's other big hitter. To prevent this type of infection, users should be sure to download vulnerability patches as soon as they become available."
The top ten hoaxes reported to Sophos during September 2002 are as follows:
"Most users are well aware of the damage a virus attack can cause, which is why so many false alerts about malicious code are taken seriously," continued Cluley. "Instead of blindly believing everything that turns up in their inbox, users should be more wary. Nominating one person in the IT department to verify whether or not virus warnings are genuine will save resources and help prevent hoaxes spreading any further."
Sophos has made available a free, up-to-the-minute, information feed for intranets and websites which means users can always find out about the latest viruses and hottest hoaxes.
Graphics of the virus top ten chart are available here.
More information about safe computing, including anti-hoax policies.
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
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