Virus Attacks Up But Infections Hold Steady

Last year more -- and more dangerous -- viruses raced across the Internet than ever, according to a new study. The good news is that while more companies were infected last year than in 2002, the growth in infections is actually lower than in recent years. ''I think it's a good news/bad news thing,'' says Larry Bridwell, a content security programs manager with ICSA Labs, a division of TruSecure, a risk management company based in Herndon, Va. ''The bad news is that we're seeing more and more viruses, and they're more dangerous than ever before. The good news is that we're doing things to mitigate against that risk.''

The 9th Annual ICSA Labs Virus Prevalence Survey, which collected data from more than 300 medium and large businesses and government agencies, shows that the flood of virus attacks on corporate and consumer networks is increasing at a torrential rate. The survey shows that 88 percent of respondents think that malicious code is 'somewhat worse or much worse' than 2002, with only 12 percent stating the situation was 'the same or better' in 2003.

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