ESET Emphasizes the Importance of Proactive Protection to Prevent Outbreaks Like Zotob

SAN DIEGO--Aug. 22, 2005--ESET Customers Were Protected Before the Worm Was Released; Company Offers Free Downloadable Remover to Those Infected

ESET, a global security software solutions company providing next-generation malware protection, maintains that organizations that implement proactive anti-threat solutions could have averted the effects of threats like Zotob. The first worm surfaced on Sunday and seemed to have faded by Monday. However, several variants and another new worm were subsequently identified. Despite the onslaught of new detections, ESET's customers were protected from this threat before the worm was even released. ESET's NOD32 anti-threat solution uses unique ThreatSense(TM) technology, which employs behavior-based analysis to detect malicious threats.

Win32/Zotob is a variant of the Win32/Mytob worm, but does not spread through email; instead, it exploits the MS05-039 plug-and-play vulnerability on port 445 on Windows 2000 systems. Serious cases of infection have only affected companies running on the Windows 2000 platform, including some of the largest U.S. media companies like CNN, ABC, and The New York Times.

"As seen by the recent damage caused at major corporations like ABC and The New York Times, near-zero day attacks are on the rise and patches simply cannot offer immediate protection," said Andrew Lee, chief technology officer, ESET. "The importance of real-time malware protection is clear. ESET's customers' systems were not impacted by this fast-moving threat because the malicious behavior of Zotob was detected and reported at its onset."

ESET is providing a free remover for any infected systems not protected by its NOD32 anti-threat software. The remover can be downloaded at www.eset.com.

ESET's Virus Radar, a real-time malware tracking tool, identified the new Zotob worm using NOD32. Virus Radar provides site visitors with easy access to in-depth analysis of the latest malicious outbreaks and processes approximately four million email messages per day to provide information such as the exact date a virus was first detected and its current detection rate. Virus Radar is also capable of tracking the progression of a single virus over a given period -- in some instances from the earliest heuristic detection of a new virus to the point where the virus disappears.

About ESET

Founded in 1992, ESET is a global provider of security software solutions for enterprises and consumers. ESET's award-winning, anti-threat software system, NOD32, provides real-time protection from known and unknown viruses, spyware and other malware. NOD32 offers the smallest, fastest and most advanced protection available, with more Virus Bulletin 100% Awards than any other antivirus product (www.virusbulletin.com). ESET was named to Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 three years running, and has an extensive partner network, including corporations like Canon, Dell and Microsoft. ESET has offices in San Diego,USA, Bratislava, SK, London, UK, Prague, CZ and is represented worldwide in more than 80 countries. For more information, visit www.eset.com or call .