Updating patches 'first priority' for business and home users, says Internet security expert

The summer of 2004 has seen a number of virus threats, including new variants of the Sasser.B worm, the Zafi.B file infector, and Netsky worm. As more people return back to work after July and August holidays, there is a risk that these could infect business and home systems if they are downloaded onto under-protected networks.

Specifically, Trend Micro outlines two potential areas of risk. The first problem is that people back from holidays often face a backlog of e-mail, and - in their haste to get through it - can mistakenly open infected messages. The second challenge is that computer users may not have downloaded updated patches to prevent vulnerability exploits in their operating systems.

"Historically, there have been a number of serious computer virus outbreaks in the summer months. Typically, these were launched by malicious programmers who calculated that IT specialists and network engineers would be out of the office when the virus hit, so that they could maximize the damage," said Justin Doo, managing director, Trend Micro in the Middle East and Africa.

"It's therefore essential for both home and business users to ensure that anti-virus security is fully up-to-date and that new patches are installed, before they start tackling the backlog of unanswered e-mails," adds Doo.