Average consumers of new technology are constantly warned to upgrade their virus protection against the seemingly endless barrage of stronger, more dangerous threats to their computers and electronic devices. Skulls.L, a new cell-phone threat, preys upon this routine downloading by posing as anti-virus software.

	WEEKLY REPORTS Solutions, Prevention & Remedies Top 10 Threats

This Trojan targets Nokia smartphones by taking on the name and several other characteristics of software created by the Anti-virus vendor F-Secure.

Once downloaded onto your cell phone, Skulls.L displays a message reading, "F-Secure Antivirus protects you against the virus. And don't forget to update this!" Once the Trojan is run, the smartphone is still capable of receiving and sending phone calls. However, the Trojan releases worms which disable legitimate anti-virus programs and all other applications.

F-Secure has developed a removal tool for the virus and suggests that users only download F-Secure software from its Web site in order to avoid the risk of unsafe, pirated software.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- Skulls.L
• Is your cell phone at risk?

• F-Secure Skulls.L description

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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.

Worry Watch is compiled by David Radin & Jes Scherder using data and reports from Microsoft, CERT, Panda, and other sources. To contact the compilers of Worry Watch, go to http://www.megabyteminute.com/contactdavid.html