Mikko Hypponen

Mikko Hypponen
Mikko Hermanni Hyppönenis a computer security expert and columnist...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
CountryUnited States of America
viruses worked year
I've worked with viruses for 15 years and things have been getting progressively worse. This year is going to be bad.
computers happened running testing virus
As the virus is not new it's 2 years old this could only have happened if those testing computers were not running any anti-virus programs,
alarming appears biggest build competing gangs infected network rate three turning virus worms
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.
anybody change relatively says trivial understand virus
It's trivial for anybody to understand how it works, ... To modify the virus is relatively easy, and to change what the e-mail says is trivial.
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.
bad believe boys fact less people seeing situation targeted virus
We are seeing less of the big virus outbreaks such as Sasser and Blaster, and so some people believe the situation is getting better, when in fact it is getting worse. The bad boys are getting more professional and doing more targeted attacks.
actively attack block everybody involved knows later lay likely low malicious might rather virus writer
There might be no attack at all. As everybody knows about the attack, the virus writer may lay low and attack at a later date. The ISPs involved can actively block malicious postings. It's more likely the attacker will lay low or be blocked, rather than succeed.
bent change evolution financial gangs operated virus
The most significant change has been the evolution of virus writing hobbyists into criminally operated gangs bent on financial gain.
competing infected latest remove viruses
The latest variants of Bozori even remove competing viruses like Zotob from the infected machines.
awhile figure home people reported
These will only get reported when people get home from work, and it will take awhile before they figure out who to call.
bad brand buy computer five infected internet plug situation ten turn within worm
The situation on the Internet right now is so bad that if you go and buy a brand new computer and turn it on and plug it into the Internet, it will be infected by a worm within five to ten minutes,
beyond corporate finds quite spread worm
The worm can spread quite well once it finds its way beyond corporate firewalls.
bigger computers estimate percent potential problems situation vulnerable worldwide
Right now, the situation is bad, but it could be much worse. The potential for problems is bigger than we have ever seen. We estimate 99 percent of computers worldwide are vulnerable to this attack.
check clicking convincing fairly site surfing
Everything would look fairly convincing if they did some surfing to check out the site before clicking on the link. But they would still get burned.