1 October 2003
Top ten viruses and hoaxes reported to Sophos in September 2003
Gibe-F reaches top spot by playing on security fears
This is the latest in a series of monthly charts counting down the ten most frequently reported viruses and hoaxes as compiled by Sophos, a global leader in anti-virus and anti-spam protection for businesses.
For September 2003, the chart is as follows, with the most frequently occurring virus at number one:
"With recent high profile virus outbreaks, people have become more security conscious. But Gibe-F, which shot to pole position this month, has shown that computer users' fears can play right into the hands of crafty virus writers," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus. "Gibe-F poses as an email from Microsoft support, offering security patches. Computer users should remember that Microsoft does not and would not send out emails of this nature."
"The fact that all four of last month's big hitters - Sobig-F, Blaster, Mimail and Nachi - are still in the top ten, despite extensive media coverage, is also worrying. It means some people are still either ignoring calls to patch or are still oblivious to the threat," continued Cluley.
Sophos analysed and protected against 715 new viruses in September. The total number it now protects against is 84,992.
The top ten hoaxes reported to Sophos during September are as follows:
"Perhaps unsurprisingly, this month saw a move up the chart for the September 11 themed 'WTC Survivor' hoax. Whilst last month it only accounted for 7.9% of hoax enquiries, in September it generated almost 15% of reports," said Cluley. "Hoaxes which relate to a specific occasion often experience a rise in popularity around the time of the event. Hopefully, two years on, people will now realise this is a hoax."
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.
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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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