31 March 2003
Top ten viruses and hoaxes reported to Sophos in March 2003
Klez still top virus, JDBGMGR knocked off perch by WTC Survivor hoax
This is the latest in a series of monthly charts counting down the ten most frequently occurring viruses and hoaxes as compiled by Sophos, a global leader in anti-virus protection for businesses.
For March 2003, the virus chart is as follows, with the most frequently occurring virus at number one:
"Klez continues to hang around like a bad smell - those hit by it couldn't have updated their anti-virus protection in more than a year. Now that it's possible to receive fully automated updates, there's really no excuse. And though it's easy to protect against Klez, it's a seriously nasty virus to recover from," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos Anti-Virus. "Indicating the growing popularity of file sharing, this month's highest new entry is Gibe, a worm which spreads via the KaZaA network. Businesses need to have a long hard think about whether these applications have a valid place on their networks."
Sophos detected 883 new viruses, worms and Trojan horses in March. The total number it now protects against is 80,962.
The top ten hoaxes reported to Sophos during March 2003 are as follows:
"The WTC Survivor hoax - which falsely warns of a September 11th themed virus - has taken over the number one slot for the first time in a year. People receiving this hoax should ignore its advice and not email the warning to everyone they know. Much like real viruses, hoaxes clog mail servers and cause much unnecessary confusion," continued Cluley.
Sophos has made available a free, constantly updated information feed for intranets and websites which means users can always find out about the latest viruses and hoaxes.
Graphics of the virus top ten chart are available here.
More information about safe computing, including anti-hoax policies.
- USA number 1 for malware and spam
- Huge surge in email attachment attacks
- Scareware makes users buy bogus products
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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