Central Command: Top 12 Viruses For May 2003

Worm/Palyh Rank Number One For May 2003, File-Sharing Programs Remain Problematic For Networks

Central Command, a leading provider of PC anti-virus software and computer security services today released its monthly listing of the top twelve viruses reported for May, 2003. The report, coined the “Dirty Dozen”, is based on the number of virus occurrences confirmed through Central Command’s Emergency Virus Response Team.

The table below represents the most prevalent viruses for May 2003, number one being the most frequent.

Ranking Virus Name Percentage

1. Worm/Palyh (Sobig.B) 22.4%
2. Worm/Klez.E (including G) 19.7%
3. Worm/Sobig.A 8.3%
4. Worm/Fizzu.A 6.0%
5. Worm/Yaha.E 3.6%
6. W32/Funlove.4099 3.1%
7. Worm/W32.Sircam 2.5%
8. Worm/Bride.A 2.2%
9. Worm/Lovegate.F 1.5%
10. Worm/Yaha.M 1.1%
11. W32/Nimda 1.1%
12. Worm/BugBear 0.9%
Others 27.6%

“In its short period of existence [discovered on May 18, 2003], Worm/Palyh infected thousands of users worldwide outpacing Worm/Klez.E as the number one confirmed virus for May 2003,” said Steven Sundermeier, product manager of Central Command, Inc. “Worm/Palyh was written very deceitfully, as it arrives masquerading as an email sent from the Microsoft Support Department. Users should ask themselves ‘why would the technical support team at Microsoft send me an unsolitated email with a movie28.pif file attachment?’.” Worm/Palyh accounted for nearly one- quarter of all the confirmed infection reports.

Worm/Fizzu.A made its debut in the Dirty Dozen at number four. Worm/Fizzu.A is an Internet worm that profilerates through email and over various file-sharing programs. “We are seeing more and more viruses coded to spread over Peer-2-Peer (P2P) applications like Kazaa. Nine out of ten times the P2P worm will copy itself under enticing filenames like password cracked software programs, downloaded movies or games or are pornographic themed-based. The bottom line is that programs like Kazaa are opening gapping security holes within a corporate infrastructure.” Worm/Fizzu.A tallied 6.0% of all total infections.

Vexira Antivirus has been updated for 915 different viruses, worms and other malicious applications during the month of May 2003.

Vexira Antivirus starts at $34.95, and a free 30-day trial version may be downloaded from (www.centralcommand.com) or obtained by contacting Central Command at +1-330 723-2062.