Activity 5.7

The Klez Computer Worm (the virus that won’t die).

The Klez computer worm Is now in it’s seventh month of being on the web Antivirus software makers Symantec and McAfee both report more than 2000 new infections daily.

Klez infects Microsoft Windows systems, exploiting vulnerability in Internet Explorer's Trident layout engine, used by both Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express to render HTML mail.

How It Works
Klez is an example of a blended threat: software that distributes itself like a virus but sometimes behaves like a worm and at other times like a Trojan horse. Klez usually arrives in the in-boxes of unsuspecting victims as a file attachment. It uses various subject lines, including "Klez removal tool". Some variants also draw subject lines from random words in files on a victim's hard drive.


Sources where from….
Pc World.
Wikipedia.

The Klez Worm Compared To NetSky

Netsky is a prolific family of computer worms. The first variant appeared on Monday, February 16, 2004. The "B" variant was the first family member to find its way into mass distribution. It appeared on Wednesday, February 18, 2004.

18-year-old Sven Jaschan of Germany confessed to having written these, and other worms, such as Sasser.

Although individual functions vary widely from virus to virus, the Netsky family perhaps is most famous for comments contained within the code of its variants insulting the authors of the Bagle and Mydoom worm families and, in some cases, routines that removed versions of these viruses. The "war" as it was referred to in the media caused a steady increase in the number of variant viruses produced in these families.

As of June 2004, Bagle had approximately 28, Netsky approximately 29, and MyDoom approximately 10.

Other symptoms of Netsky included beeping sounds on specified dates, usually in the morning hours.

The worm was sent out as an e-mail, enticing recipients to open an attachment. Once opened, the attached program would scan the computer for e-mail addresses and e-mail itself to all addresses found.

Until October 2006, the P variant of this virus remained the most prevalent virus being sent in e-mail throughout the world, despite being over two and a half years old. It was surpassed by a variant from the Station malware family in November 2006.


Virus Checking Software Comparison.

Shield Deluxe 2009
$19.99
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Free


Webroot 6.0
$39.95
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Free


BitDefender
$29.95
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Free


CA 2009
$49.99
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Free


McAfee 2009
$39.99
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Norton 2009
$39.99
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ESET NOD 32 3.0
$39.99
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Free