Computer users continue to be barraged by two recent threats that have infected a large number of users in past weeks. While the original Sober and Netsky worms continue to attack users, variations on both have made prevention and cure more difficult.

	WEEKLY REPORTS Solutions, Prevention & Remedies Top 10 Threats

In recent weeks, the Sober.V worm put computer users on alert as infections reached high numbers in just a few hours.

With over 20 variations -- the most recent being Sober.W, discovered on May 16 -- Sober infects your computer by way of e-mail attachment and then sends itself to the addresses you have stored in Microsoft Outlook.

Netsky spreads in much the same way. The virus also takes advantage of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer which allows attachments to be automatically run as soon as an infected e-mail is opened in Microsoft Outlook.

Netsky claims over 40 variations, the earliest of which dates back more than a year. The alert level of Netsky.P was recently raised to "severe" with a growing number of infections every day.

Protection and Prevention - Sober:

Panda ActiveScan
Symantec

Protection and Prevention - Netsky:

Panda Software

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* Reading: Solutions, Prevention & Remedies
Additional summary information related to a specific type of solution or prevention that you should be considering. Depending upon the week, this section may have:
• Recent Windows security releases from Microsoft
• Recent updates to widely used anti-spyware programs
• Recent updates to widely used anti-virus programs
• Recent updates to other security programs & devices (ex: Firewalls, routers)
• Recent updates to various applications in wide use

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Read: Top Threats
These are viruses that are currently on the watch lists of major anti-virus software companies.

Name
What the threat is called. We use the name given each virus by Panda Software. Sometimes other anti-virus companies give the same threat a different name. Usually they use similar names.

Type
There are different characteristics associated with different types of threats.
• Virus - has the ability to replicate or infect computers or other programs
• Trojan Horse (or Trojan) - appear to be harmless programs when you get them. They unleash their payload when you double-click, open, or execute them.
• Phishing - a Web site or e-maill message posing as another company - usually one you know to fool you into giving the sender personal information.
• Worm - self replicates onto additional disks, computers or networks
• Spyware - installs on your system to collect information about your activity, preferences or interests
• Hoax - false messages sent by e-maill to mislead the recipient
• Backdoors - opens a security hole that allows outsiders to take control of your computer
• Dialer - uses your telephone to dial an outside number - sometimes a number that costs you money when dialed

Affects
Not all viruses affect all types of systems. Some, for example may affect only Windows 98 and 95, but not Windows XP or NT. Others affect all Windows systems, but not Macintosh. In this column, we show you the consumer systems that the threat is known to affect. We don't always include the servers that operate in your company's backroom.

Alert level
The level of awareness that anti-virus vendors suggest you need to have for each threat listed.
For each threat listed, we'll post a corresponding link here, so you can get more information to help you recognize, diagnose, prevent, and repair the problem.