Retailers plagued by virus-ridden emails

One in 24 emails received by companies in the retail sector contain a virus. That compares rather unfavourably with finance and banking organisations, which have managed to reduce the number of virus-laden emails hitting user in-boxes to around one in 5,000.

Research from email security company MessageLabs has found a huge disparity between the levels of viruses being received in different UK industry sectors in 2002.

Retailers have so far suffered more than any other sector, closely followed by the leisure industry, which saw one virus in 58 emails the entertainment industry with one in 68 the construction sector (one in 103), and city and local governments (one in 104).

At the other end of the scale, the banking and finance sector has the lowest infection rate so far in 2002, with one virus found in every 5,208 emails. The legal sector also does well with one in 2,658, as does central government, with one in 2,369.

These statistics come at a time when viruses are at their highest levels ever, despite the emergence of very few new viruses in 2002.

Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs, said in a statement: "The different attitudes toward anti-virus protection amongst industry sectors is quite amazing. The retail sector really needs to take a look at its priorities. One virus in every 24 emails indicates a huge virus problem which it needs to resolve."

He added: "The financial and legal sectors obviously have a lot to lose from falling foul of an email virus, have taken greater precautions, and therefore have a very low level of incoming virus activity."