Virus top 10: Virus writers go back to the future

For the third month in a row, Zafi.D has topped the most-reported-virus chart.

The virus, which first appeared in the middle of last year, has consistently vied with Netsky.P for the place at the head of the virus chart. Zafi.D made up around 30 per cent of all reports to antivirus firm Sophos in February.

Netsky.P stayed in second place, with around 22 per cent of all reports.

Just two viruses in the top 10 were new entries, although both were new variants of old viruses - Bagle.BK and Sober.K. Both viruses are over a year old in their original forms. The virus chart also turned up one re-entry, with Sobig.F reappearing in the top 10.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos said: "I don't think the virus writers are on holiday - I think they're writing and releasing worms as normal, it's just that most of them aren't having the same impact as 2004's hardest hitters."

Cluley added that next month's chart is likely feature a different line-up. "In the last 24 hours the second most commonly reported virus has been the Sober-K worm which emerged in the last week of February. It disguises itself as emails from the FBI or raunchy videos of celebrity airhead Paris Hilton, and is accounting currently for over 23 per cent of all virus reports to us. My guess is that this worm is going to have a major impact for some time to come," he said.

1. Zafi.D 30.8 per cent
2. Netsky.P 22.3 per cent
3. Zafi.B 9.7 per cent
4. Bagle.BK 5.2 per cent
5. Netsky.D 4.2 per cent
6. Netsky.Z 3.8 per cent
7. Sober.K 3.4 per cent
8. Sobig.F 2.5 per cent
9. Netsky.B 2.4 per cent
10. MyDoom.O 1.5 per cent

Others 14.2 per cent