16 Nov 2000
Navidad and Hybris viruses pose low threat to users practising safe computing
Sophos Anti-Virus, one of the world's leading developers of
anti-virus solutions, today called for calm regarding two new
viruses, Navidad and Hybris. Sophos urges computer users to follow
safe computing guidelines, following media interest and a decision
by the US Army to rate Hybris as 'high risk'.
The viruses have been spreading in the USA and South America,
and have already hit a small number of UK companies. However, they
pose no real threat to users practising safe computing or to users
running up-to-date anti-virus software.
"No computer-savvy person would open an unsolicited executable
file they received via email," said Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus. "If users took on board
this simple safe computing message, viruses like Navidad and Hybris
would spread about as well as frozen butter."
Most anti-virus products have been capable of detecting both
viruses since early November and Sophos advises users to download
the latest anti-virus virus protection from their vendor. Sophos
users can do so here.
About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing complete security solutions that are simple to deploy, manage, and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, mobile and network security solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.