SirCam worm still a serious threat

Almost seven weeks after it started spreading, the SirCam worm is still topping the watch lists of almost every antivirus company.

Market analyst Computer Economics estimates that by the end of August, SirCam had infected 2.3 million computers and caused $1 billion in damages related to cleaning infected systems and to lost productivity.

Although antivirus companies have released updates so that their scanning software can detect SirCam, the worm shows no sign of abating.

The problem is that so many average Joes continue to spread the infectious code because they are naive about the risks on the Internet and haven't updated their antivirus software, said Vincent Weafer, senior director of Symantec's antivirus research center.

"We know we have to have security around our home, and we know we have to have security around our cars. We need it around our computers as well," Weafer said.

Source: CNet