Virus Top Ten lists 'useless'

They are no measure of a threat, says security vendor

Virus Top Ten lists are misleading because they do not measure the dange rof individual threats, according to security software vendor PC Tools

Chief Executive Simon Clausen said they are no practical use to either the industry or users. “Threat analysis is highly complex. There was a time when volume alone was an acceptable indicator …But the threat landscape has changed significantly and there are a number of additional parameters, besides volume, which are equally, if not more important.”

These include the complexity of the threat, and the challenge it presents for analysts and software to detect and remove it.
Also important is the payload it carries – that is, what it actually does when it infects a machine.

PC Tools cites Netsky, a virus discovered more than four years ago that still appearing on top threat lists yet is easily detected and removed by freely available anti-virus technology. detects and removes it with ease.

Such viruses have high propagation rates because many users leave vulnerabilities unpatched – often because they are using a pirated operating system.

"Pirated software often requires automatic updates to be turned off to avoid detection,” said PC Tools chief threat officer, Kurt Baumgartner said.