This is the latest in a series of monthly charts counting down
the ten most frequently occurring viruses as compiled by Sophos, a
world leader in corporate anti-virus protection.
For February 2001, the chart is as follows, with the most
frequently occurring virus at number one:
"This month's biggest virus - VBS/SST-A, aka the
Kournikova worm - was not the work of a genius," said Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus. "Yet it
still managed to fool hundreds of thousands of people around the
world. Come on, wake up everybody! Don't fall for the next virus
like this. Use up-to-date anti-virus software, obey the basic rules
of safe computing and above all, think before you click."
The author of the Kournikova worm, OnTheFly, later confessed and
handed himself over to the Dutch police. Worryingly, the mayor of
OnTheFly's home town of Sneek, has suggested the virus writer
should be offered a job in the council's IT department on the basis
of his exploits.
875 new viruses were discovered and protected against by Sophos
during February 2001.
The total number of viruses Sophos detects and protects against
is 61026.
Compiled by Sophos's technical support team, the top ten chart
is collated from calls to Sophos's 24 hour, 365 days a year
technical support line.
Graphics of the above Top Ten chart are available here.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.