Feeds

F-inSecure mailing list spreads Netsky-B virus

Red faces all round at AV outfit after 'human error'

  • alert
  • submit to reddit

How to simplify SSL certificate management

Oh dear, oh dear. F-Secure's UK antivirus mailing list became the unwitting vector for the spread of Netsky-B worm this week after the AV vendor failed to stop an infected email from making it onto its security list.

F-Secure has apologised for the cock-up, which it blames on human error.

The Finnish-based firm's UK bulletin list was hit after the Netsky-B virus found its way from an infected machine somewhere in the US to the unmoderated list. The list goes out to F-Secure's customers and partners in Britain.

F-Secure pledged to take "immediate steps to change how messages can be sent to this list", in order to prevent any repetition of the security blunder.

The attack didn't affect the Finnish firm's internal systems. Even so the mistake is highly embarrassing - though far from unprecedented even among security firms.

In November 2002 Russian AV firm Kasperky Labs suffered similar discomfort when its mailing list was hijacked. As a result, thousands of subscribers to the list received copies of the Braid worm. ®

Related Stories

Netsky B is very pesky
Kaspersky mailing list hijacked!
How secure is CA's security mailing list?

Secure remote control for conventional and virtual desktops

More from The Register

next story
Nothing illegal to see here: Tribunal says TEMPORA spying is OK
Rules mass surveillance is legal, in principle at least
Google kills CAPTCHAs: Are we human or are we spammer?
Do you make up these questions, Mr Wonka?
'We're having panic attacks' ... Sony staff and families now threatened in emails
Join us or else say messages purportedly from GOP hackers
The internet is less free than last year. Thanks a bunch, Snowden
Running around, warning everyone the NSA is spying on us all. What is he like?
Author fined $500k in first US spyware conviction
100,000 creeps buy mobe-watching wares
Snowden files show NSA's AURORAGOLD pwned 70% of world's mobe networks
Brits and Yanks snoop on security standards bods
Sony Pictures struggles as staff details, salaries and films leaked
Fury and Annie now doing the rounds - along with staff's privates
Stupid humans and their EXPENSIVE DATA BREACHES
Non-human cockups only account for 7% of leaks
prev story

Whitepapers

The falling cost - and rising value - of desktop virtualization
The growing strategic value of desktop virtualization, from a more flexible, productive workforce to lower real estate costs, has made it a key IT strategy.
Focus on 5 SIEM requirements
In order for SIEM to help usher in more effective security and risk management strategies—particularly as they relate to threat mitigation, embracing trends, and aligning with business priorities—these five issues must be solved.
The Escalating Threat of DDoS Attacks
With increasing frequency and scale, some of the world’s largest data center and network operators are suffering from crippling Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Reg Reader Research: SaaS based Email and Office Productivity Tools
Read this Reg reader report which provides advice and guidance for SMBs towards the use of SaaS based email and Office productivity tools.
Everything a site builder wants to know
The major changes in Drupal 8 for end users, site builders, designers and front-end developers, and for back-end developers - part 2.