MessageLabs predicts that spam will account for over 70 percent of e-mail traffic by April of 2004. Given that current antispam legislation is largely ineffective, the onus will continue to be on you and me to protect ourselves. . . .. 2003 WAS SUPPOSED to be the year to end e-mail-borne viruses, given that both MS Outlook and antivirus apps have become much better at stopping them. But in 2004, I expect to see more of these pests, especially more spam-related ones like MiMail.l, as professional spammers continue using them both to collect e-mail addresses and to distribute their messages anonymously. MiMail.l wasn't the first worm involved with junk e-mail. As early as January 2003, antivirus experts noticed a worm called Sobig was aiding the sending of spam. By early summer of 2003, there was evidence that Sobig was building a network of what are called open proxies, systems that act as blind intermediary portals to the Internet. By the time the Sobig.f variant came along in mid-August, the open proxy network created by earlier variants helped Sobig.f infect over one million PCs worldwide in less than 24 hours, making it the fastest spreading computer virus or worm on record. The August infection further expanded the open proxy network, giving future variants the ability to spread even faster. The link for this article located at ZDNet is no longer available. . In 2004, experts predicted a rise in e-mail viruses taking advantage of software vulnerabilities and user habits, complicating the fight against spam and malware. Email Security, Malware Trends, Spam Alerts, Virus Threats, Antivirus Measures. . Anthony Pell
As open source software becomes increasingly popular it is being targeted by virus writers and proving to be at least as vulnerable as Microsoft. The virus-monitoring laboratory of Network Associates' Antivirus Emergency Response Team (Avert) has logged over 170 viruses and Trojans for Linux, as well as an additional 30 Unix shell scripts. . . .. As open source software becomes increasingly popular it is being targeted by virus writers and proving to be at least as vulnerable as Microsoft. The virus-monitoring laboratory of Network Associates' Antivirus Emergency Response Team (Avert) has logged over 170 viruses and Trojans for Linux, as well as an additional 30 Unix shell scripts. Of these, six or seven are active in the field at any one time - currently Ramen, Lion, BoxPoison, OSF, Scalper and its modification, Slapper. The Slapper virus and its clones currently attacking Apache web servers are the most visible side of this move against open source, and the worm itself will be the development environment of choice for virus writers. The link for this article located at vnunet is no longer available. . As open source programs gain traction, they encounter increasing malware challenges, exposing weaknesses akin to those found in Microsoft software.. Open Source Malware, Antivirus Response, Linux Security Threats, Virus Analysis. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
Some of the recent press regarding the "Goner" e-mail virus has brought about interesting commentary from antivirus manufacturers. It seems that a number of these folks feel that Linux viruses soon will be rampaging through the Internet alongside their Windows brethren. . . . . Some of the recent press regarding the "Goner" e-mail virus has brought about interesting commentary from antivirus manufacturers. It seems that a number of these folks feel that Linux viruses soon will be rampaging through the Internet alongside their Windows brethren. Don't hold your breath. Why? Is Linux totally impervious to an e-mail virus? In theory, no. But in practice, it comes close. The current crop of e-mail viruses relies heavily on the knowledge that most people are using the exact same e-mail client: Microsoft's Outlook. With that knowledge, virus creators can focus on a single attack vector, capitalizing on the fact that Outlook allows incoming messages to be executed as programs. These programs can manipulate files on the recipient's system and mail themselves to other poor souls in the receiver's address book. The link for this article located at PCWorld is no longer available. . Delve into Linux's susceptibility to email-borne malware, especially in light of current conversations surrounding the Goner virus, while also examining its inherent weaknesses.. Email Virus Protection, Linux Malware Risks, Antivirus Discussion, Goner Virus Analysis. . Anthony Pell
Bug Watch: Each week vnunet.com asks a different expert from the IT security world to give their views on recent virus and security issues, with advice, warnings and information on the latest threats. This week Jack Clark, European antivirus product manager . . . . Bug Watch: Each week vnunet.com asks a different expert from the IT security world to give their views on recent virus and security issues, with advice, warnings and information on the latest threats. This week Jack Clark, European antivirus product manager at Network Associates, discusses the risks posed by remote workers. The link for this article located at vnunet.com is no longer available. . Bug Watch: Each week vnunet.com asks a different expert from the IT security world to give their vie. watch, vnunet, different, expert, security, world, their. . Anthony Pell
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