NEWS For the third month in a row, Zafi.D has topped the most-reported-virus chart.
The virus, which first appeared in the middle of last year, has consistently vied with Netsky.P for the place at the head of the virus chart. Zafi.D made up around 30 per cent of all reports to antivirus firm Sophos in February.
Netsky.P stayed in second place, with around 22 per cent of all reports.
Just two viruses in the top 10 were new entries, although both were new variants of old viruses - Bagle.BK and Sober.K. Both viruses are over a year old in their original forms. The virus chart also turned up one re-entry, with Sobig.F reappearing in the top 10.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos said: "I don't think the virus writers are on holiday - I think they're writing and releasing worms as normal, it's just that most of them aren't having the same impact as 2004's hardest hitters."
Cluley added that next month's chart is likely feature a different line-up. "In the last 24 hours the second most commonly reported virus has been the Sober-K worm which emerged in the last week of February. It disguises itself as emails from the FBI or raunchy videos of celebrity airhead Paris Hilton, and is accounting currently for over 23 per cent of all virus reports to us. My guess is that this worm is going to have a major impact for some time to come," he said.
1. Zafi.D 30.8 per cent
2. Netsky.P 22.3 per cent
3. Zafi.B 9.7 per cent
4. Bagle.BK 5.2 per cent
5. Netsky.D 4.2 per cent
6. Netsky.Z 3.8 per cent
7. Sober.K 3.4 per cent
8. Sobig.F 2.5 per cent
9. Netsky.B 2.4 per cent
10. MyDoom.O 1.5 per cent
Others 14.2 per cent
Comments
There are 2 comments. Join the discussion
1. Roger Ash
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
It's generally accepted that most virus writers are social inadeqates who do it to earn recognition.
(Ed note. Roger, welcome to 2005. I am pretty sure you will find it is actually 'generally accepted' that virus writers left recognition behind a long time ago. More often than not there is a serious, criminal intent behind viruses now - often linked the the move of organised crime into the creation of compromised networks of bot-nets. As such detection and profile are not issues they are particularly keen to court.)
To publish an article using all the terminology and catchphrases of a pop music chart show, and call it the "Virus Top 10" must be just what they crave.
(Ed note. I don't think it is unusual to publish lists to let people know what to look out for and what threats are currently at the peak. I assume you have emailed the FBI also to complain about the 'most wanted' list it maintains.)
Why not go the whole way and have an awards ceremony as well?
(Ed note. It's a great idea. If they turned up they could be arrested.)
2. Roger Ash
My objection is not to the publication of a list of viruses, but to the way in which it is done. This "Top of the Pops" style is utterly puerile and can only serve to encourage virus writers. As to your argument that there is "serious criminal intent" behind some viruses, this doesn't actually apply to many of those in the list.