Virus WildList closed 'until further notice'

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/56/24587.html

By John Leyden
Posted: 26/03/2002 at 14:14 GMT

The WildList, a list of viruses currently at large which plays an
important role in testing antivirus software, has been suspended
indefinitely.

In a message to the antivirus community, Shane Coursen, chief
executive of the WildList Organization (which compiles the list), said
that March, 2002 WildList will be the last "until further notice".  
Coursen is seeking a full-time position as an antivirus researcher.

Separate mechanisms (both formal and informal) exist within the
antivirus community to exchange virus sample, which are needed to
update software to cope with the latest threat. However the suspension
of the WildList still has important implications.

In recent years, the WildList list has been used by anti-virus product
testers and industry groups such as the definitive guide to the
viruses found in the real world. An anti-virus product is expected to
score 100 percent detection against this group of viruses.

The list is compiled from viruses reported in the wild by 69 virus
information professionals. The basis for these reports are virus
incidents where a sample was received, and positively identified by
the participant.

Mikko Hyppönen, Anti-Virus Research Manager at F-Secure, and a
participant to the WildList, said the value of the list is that
researchers could be sure "if a virus is not on the list - it's not a
real world threat".

WildList is sometimes used as a reference by end-users and integrators
in configuring systems that are likely to prevent companies getting
hit by the latest virus threats, he added. Such tweaking can occur
when, for one reason or another, a company is unable to apply default
settings within its security and antivirus set-up, Hyppönen explained.



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