A variant of the Klez worm was not only the most frequently occurring worm for the month of February, but it's become the most persistent worm ever, according to a new report by an anti-virus company.
"A worm with altogether more substance is this month's number one -- the Klez-H," says Chris Wraight, a technology consultant at Sophos, Inc. "In its various guises, Klez has now been hanging around the chart for 13 months, making it the most persistent worm ever. People infected by the Klez couldn't have updated their virus protection in quite some time."
Rounding out the list of the top worms and viruses for February were the Sobig worm, a variant of the Avril worm, a Yaha variant and the Bugbear worm. The much talked-about Lovgate worm only hit the ninth spot on Sophos' list.
The anti-virus company reports that it detected 541 new viruses, worms and Trojan horses in February. The total number of malicious code in the wild adds up to about 80,079.
And for the 10th month in a row, the JDBGMGR was the top hoax in February. It's followed by the WTC Survivor, Meninas da Playboy, Bonsai Kitten and Budweiser Frogs Screensaver.
"JDBGMGR is quickly becoming the hoax of all time," says Wraight. "JDBGMGR is right up there with Klez when it comes to creating computer user confusion, but this needn't be the case. People receiving this message should simply delete it and not be tempted to forward it to all their contacts 'just in case' it is a real virus warning."
The Worm That Won't Go Away
