WEEKLY REPORTS Latest security updates Top 10 Threats

Did you know that Zotob.F and Bozori.B are two names for the exact same worm?

When computer threats surface for the first time, anti-virus companies and security researchers name them as they see them, often using parts of the infectious filename or program as an identifier. This leads to multiple aliases for a single threat, which, according to the founders of the Common Malware Enumeration (CME) Initiative, causes confusion among consumers.

The CME Initiative, created by MITRE Corporation and the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), has created a numbered coding system for use by anti-virus companies to identify threats.

Each threat is assigned a number between 1 and 999. For instance, Zotob.F/Bozori.B would now be known as CME-15. This new name will be used by virus companies as an identifier in their products and press releases. The creators of the CME Initiative aim to improve the ease of communication between software vendors and customers, as well as across the computer security community.

Antivirus companies involved in the CME Initiative include McAfee, Symantec, Microsoft, Kaspersky Lab, and F-Secure.

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Worry Watch Plus Online only:

More Information -- Common Malware Enumeration Initiative
• CME Initiative Web Site

• CME List and Database

• MITRE Corporation

• US-CERT

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Latest Security Updates:
Anti-Spyware Product	Latest update	Download Sites
Ad-Aware SE	SE1R69 05.10.2005 (Definitions updated October 5, 2005)	Click to downtown
Spybot Search and Destroy	Version 1.4 (Definitions updated September 30, 2005)	Click to download

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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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Top 10 Threats:
Name	Type	Affects	Alert Level
Sdbot.ftp Click to more	Worm	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP	Medium
Netsky.P More	Worm	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Severe
Mhtredir.gen More	Trojan	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Low
Gaobot.gen More	Worm	Windows 2000, NT, XP*	Medium
Qhost.gen More	Trojan	Windows 2000, NT, XP*	Low
Downloader.FFD More	Trojan	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Medium
Netsky.D More	Worm	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Low
Citifraud.A More	Trojan	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Medium
Downloader.EZO More	Trojan	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP*	Low
Cimuz.X More	Trojan	Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP*	Medium

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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.