Competition the cause of virus onslaught

NetSky variants accounted for 60 percent of all viruses reported in March, making it the most prolific worm in the month, according to a report released Wednesday by security software vendor Sophos. Fifteen versions of NetSky infected computers during March--sometimes two different variants appearing in a single day. And on Wednesday, yet another NetSky variant was discovered, NetSky.R, the second variant to appear this week. Antivirus experts attribute the frequency of the NetSky and Bagle viruses to competition between the virus writers.

"The authors of the NetSky and Bagle worms have been battling for virus-writing supremacy in March, with both releasing new variants in a tit-for-tat game of one-upmanship," said Carole Theriault, a Sophos security consultant. "And in their latest message, NetSky said it will continue to release new variants, as long as Bagle does."

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