Viruses get faster, stronger

SEATTLE: A provider of Internet security and services Symantec Corp. said more intricate computer viruses are appearing at a faster rate, making it harder for computer users to guard against malicious software.

The company in its latest Internet Security Threat Report said that hackers are using "blended threats" that combine the capabilities of different types of viruses to carry out their attacks.

Blended threats, which include worms that can burrow into computer systems by sending themselves over a network or attaching onto e-mail, accounted for 60 percent of malicious code submissions in the first half of 2003, Symantec said.

In most cases, such attacks focus on Microsoft Corp.'s software, which provides the largest opportunity to infect the largest number of computers, said Tony Vincent, Symantec's lead global security architect.

"There's a continued focus by the bad guys on vulnerabilities based on Microsoft's Web server product and Internet Explorer," Vincent said.

The Blaster worm, which targeted Microsoft software and devastated hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide, emerged only 26 days after the world's largest software maker warned users of a software flaw and urged users to download a patch.

"The speed of propagation of blended threats is also increasing," Symantec's report said. "Symantec expects to see greater worm propagation resulting in overloads to network hardware, crippling network traffic, and seriously preventing both individuals and businesses from using the Internet."

© Reuters