WebProNews

June's list of reported viruses shows Mytob variants taking seven of the top ten spots in a Sophos Labs report.

The virtual plague of the Mytob family has generated 40 percent of the threat reports submitted to security software firm Sophos.

"It seems that the more established virus families, such as Netsky and Zafi, are meeting their match," said Carole Theriault, security consultant at Sophos.

"The Mytob-BE worm, in lead position this month, spreads via email and opens a backdoor on the infected computer, allowing unauthorized and remote users to access the PC's contents."

"It also attempts to block access to computer security websites, making it more difficult for the user to get information on disinfection."

According to Sophos, mass mailing worms aren't decreasing in number, contrary to some analyst views. While criminal hackers have begun switching their focus to exploits in Internet and security software, they haven't given up on e-mail yet.

Firewalls, antivirus software, e-mail gateways, and diligent security patch updates can help minimize external threats to an enterprise. All users are cautioned to keep their security packages up to date to protect their systems.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.