WEEKLY REPORTS Latest security updates Top 10 Threats

A recent study found that even in the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina (and possibly Hurricane Rita), disaster recovery planning for networks is a low priority for nearly 40 percent of businesses.

The study by AT&T and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) reported that nearly one third of businesses do not have set guidelines on how to keep their networks running in the case of an emergency. Over 40 percent of the companies surveyed do not have back-up servers off-site.

With the need of continuous access to information in daily business, the affects of not having a continuity plan for networks could lead companies to large losses in money, time and customers. Over 65 percent of businesses had been through some type of disaster, in some cases losing up to $500,000 per day. Of these businesses, nearly half have not updated their continuity plans in the past six months, and 25 percent remain without.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- Network survival

• AT&T/IAEM study

• IAEM

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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.

First published on September 24, 2005 at 12:00 am

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

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