Mikko Hypponen
Mikko Hypponen
Mikko Hermanni Hyppönenis a computer security expert and columnist...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
CountryUnited States of America
file love names people quite realistic saw sends social uses
It's really quite clever, ... It uses realistic file names and sends those to people you know. It's social engineering, just like we saw with Love Letter.
far files infected locations machines none trying
We've been monitoring the locations of the files that infected machines are now trying to download. So far none of them have activated.
attacks buddy click dozens exploits files image messenger people seen send several since spam tries users using worm
We have seen dozens of different attacks using this vulnerability since Dec. 27. One exploits image files and tries to get users to click on them; another is an MSN Messenger worm that will send the worm to people on your buddy list, and we have seen several spam attacks.
affect automatic backing corrupted daily drive drives external files good hard might network taking thumb
This is nasty, as this is done on all mounted drives, ie. any drive that has a drive letter. So it might affect your USB thumb drives, external hard drives and network drives. Also, if you're taking daily automatic backups, you might end up backing up the corrupted files over good files.
infection worst
It's still climbing. It's not the worst we've seen, but the infection is sizable.
attack everybody hoping looks major patch succeeding
Everybody was hoping they would get the patch out before a major attack would start. Now it looks like they are succeeding in doing just that. Well done.
accept phone spread user
Not one of these is able to spread by itself, always the user of the phone has to accept installing of the virus.
glad guy message stupid type
I'm glad the guy was stupid enough to get caught. If you have to write viruses, something like the type of message is not bad.
emerge happened mobile sure took viruses
It took 15 years for the first moneymaking viruses to emerge for the PC. On the mobile side, I'm sure it will happen. It just hasn't happened yet.
affects computers security
The vulnerability probably affects more computers than any other security vulnerability, ever.
avoided boot cleaned computers everybody happen home machines majority people problem until vast work
(The) vast majority of the machines infected...are home computers. Nothing will happen on them until people get home from work and boot up their machines. We'd like to think that they whole problem was avoided and everybody cleaned up their machines in time. But unfortunately, that's probably not true.
alarming appear biggest build competing gangs infected network seem three turning worms
We seem to have a botwar on our hands. There appear to be three different virus-writing gangs turning out new worms at an alarming rate, as if they would be competing who would build the biggest network of infected machines.
alarming appears biggest build competing gangs infected network rate seem three turning worms
We seem to have a botwar on our hands. There appears to be three different virus-writing gangs turning out new worms at an alarming rate  as if they would be competing who would build the biggest network of infected machines.
alarming appears biggest build competing gangs infected network rate seem three turning worms
We seem to have a botwar on our hands, ... There appears to be three different virus-writing gangs turning out new worms at an alarming rate  as if they would be competing who would build the biggest network of infected machines.