GG: Virus Klez

[Mary Jo Watts <mwatts@rci.rutgers.edu>]

For those of you who would like more information about that pesky virus I
mentioned yesterday, several people have suggested I make it clear that is
the Klez virus I was describing.

Thanks to Junichi for the following link.

-MJ


Here is an article on the subject:

http://www.internetworld.co.uk/mcomm/vRoot/articles/article.cfm?objectid=55CC24B3-7C4C
-4632-A1ABBBF895400700

Paste:

"Klez-H virus causes identity theft nightmares
Email spoofing virus creates embarrasment and mistrust"

by Rob Gallagher


The success of the Klez-H virus could lead to a growth in
'identity hijacking' viruses causing confusion and mistrust
among businesses, security experts have warned.

Together with Klez-G, Klez-H made up nearly 80% of
reports made to anti-virus firm Sohpos in April. The virus
differs from others in the way it spoofs the email sender
address, tricking the recipient into thinking the email has
come from a trusted source.

The identity-hijacking can lead to misfed information,
damaged reputations or worse, said Jolyon Jago, director
of business development for DespatchBox.

'At the very least, hijacking of email can be a nuisance and,
at the worst, can be fraudulent,' said Jago. 'As more email
is hijacked or impersonated, the less people will rely on
standard email as a business tool.'

Ironically, the anti-virus firms were among those to suffer
the ill-effects of Klez-H. Last week, Sophos posted a notice
on its website assuring its customers that it had not been
infected after a number of customers received viruses
apparently sent by the company.

The success of Klez-H was less down to the email spoofing
feature than slack security management, according to virus
experts. 'In reality, the damning evidence that computer
users are failing to keep their anti-virus software up-to-date,'
said Graham Cluely, senior technolgy consultant at Sophos
Anti-Virus.