Virus a day, that's the e-security play

VIRUSES and plagues in the real world notwithstanding, our increasing dependence on the internet has left us more than vulnerable to virtual diseases. The kind that can erase your hard disk and bring an entire corporation to its knees in minutes. Which is why the Symantec Internet Security Report released in California for the year 2003 needs to be closely read by the rest of the world; cyber-age Pune included. According to the report, 2003 has seen as an overall increase in the number of online viruses and cyber attacks by per cent. The corporate numbers are scary, with the report claiming that companies have experienced approximately 38 attacks per company, as compared to 32 for the same time in the previous year. The report has monitored attack activity in more than 180 countries. The Blaster Worm virus, which infected as many as 2,500 computers per hour, is a nice example of a cyber attack. Anti-virus software companies are the saviours in most cases and Pune is right up there with the best. But even the latest anti-virus software may not be of much use, as the maximum damage is done by ‘smart’ virus in the first few hours of its life span. During this time there is no anti-virus software that has a cure, because anti-virus companies need to know about the virus to develop a cure and by the time they come to know about the virus, the damage is already done. Full Story