Fears over SirCam boost security market

Outbreak gives resellers new business opportunity

The latest email virus working its way through businesses around the world is providing a good opportunity for resellers to gain extra business, according to security experts.

The virus, believed to have been started in Mexico, worms its way through company email systems and shared networks. It contains messages such as "Hi! How are you?", followed by one of four different informal sentences such as "I send you this file in order to have your advice."

Although Mac machines can receive the email they are not able to open the attachment but, although they are not as susceptible as Windows PCs, they can still pass it on.

Unlike other identifiable email worms, such as I Love You or Anna Kournikova, SirCam randomly selects a file from the infected computer as an attachment. The message subject line then contains the name of the selected file.

SirCam also searches for shared systems on the network to infect, explained Eric Chiem, chief researcher at Symantec's antivirus research centre.

"Unlike earlier viruses such as the Love Bug which hit hard and fast, SirCam is steady and users were still being affected days after the warnings appeared. This is a good opportunity for resellers to encourage their customers to ensure they have the most up-to-date security precautions on their systems," he said.

According to figures from analyst IDC, spending on security services in western Europe will reach $2.1bn (£1.5bn) this year and grow to over $4bn in 2004.

Ian Hameroff, business manager for security solutions at Computer Associates, said the best thing resellers can do is make their customers aware of the latest products.

"Antivirus vendors have realised that, as the number of these viruses increases, it is necessary to update their products, which is why the effects are softening somewhat," he said.

It is no longer a case of installing and forgetting about updating antivirus software. "This is a great time for resellers to visit customers and show them the solutions that are out there," Hameroff said.