(EMAILWIRE.COM, July 25, 2001 ) London – The current assault by the new SirCam email virus – a fast-spreading destructive worm – is a fresh reminder that organizations can only be safe against email attacks such as this if they have installed an email content checking gateway at email server level. Because the SirCam worm can disguise itself by morphing and adopting different Subject lines each time it spreads, anti-virus protection alone is not enough, warned GFI, developer of Mail essentials for Exchange/SMTP, the leading email content checking and anti-virus solution.

This virulent new email worm is spreading fast, disseminating by emailing copies of itself to all contacts in the email address books of infected users. Besides, it sends a random file from the infected user’s PC as an attachment, meaning that this alarming virus could possibly send out confidential corporate information in the process. The subject line of the email takes the name of the file sent out when the SirCam worm replicates itself, making it much harder for recipients to identify as a virus.

The virus is activated when the recipient double-clicks on its attachment, which masks an executable file such as a .bat, .com, .lnk and/or .pif file. It then launches a damaging attack on the recipient’s PC, able to destroy files and directories and occupy hard disk space, as well as mass mailing itself.

“This latest development in the sphere of harmful email worms highlights the need for full corporate protection against email attacks and viruses,” stressed Nick Galea, GFI CEO. “The fact that the SirCam worm is more sophisticated and less definable to the user because it morphs itself means that organizations must apply safeguards against viruses at email server level. With our email security product, Mail essentials, networks are protected against the SirCam worm and any of its variants because Mail essentials blocks infected and dubious files, such as .bat, .com, .lnk and .pif files, at server level through its content checking module.”

For more information about the virus, visit http://www.norman.com/virus_info/w32_sircam.shtml. More information about Mail essentials may be found at http://www.gfi.com/mesindex.htm.

About GFI
GFI (http://www.gfi.com) has six offices in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Malta, and has a worldwide network of distributors. GFI is the developer of FAXmaker, Mail essentials and LANguard, and has supplied applications to clients such as Microsoft, Telstra, Time Warner Cable, Shell Oil Lubricants, NASA, DHL, Caterpillar, BMW, the US IRS, and the USAF. GFI has won the Microsoft Fusion 2000 (GEM) Packaged Application Partner of the Year award, and was named one of 1999's fastest growing software companies for Windows by Microsoft Corp. and CMP Media.

For more information and review copies:

Send e-mail to Angelica Micallef Trigona - angelica@gfi.com
GFI Software Ltd - Malta: Tel: 356 382418; Fax: 356 382419
GFI Software Ltd - UK: Tel: 44 (0)20 8546 0640; Fax: 44 (0)20 8546 0741

Or contact any of the GFI offices below:

GFI FAX & VOICE USA Tom Kucmierz Tel: 1 (888) 2 GFIFAX Fax: 1 (919) 388 5621 E-mail: tck@gfiusa.com
GFI FAX & VOICE Gmbh Niko Makris Tel: 49 (0)40 3068 100 Fax: 49 (0)40 3068 1010 E-mail: nmakris@gfigmbh.de
GFI Asia Pacific Richard Rundle Sales FreeCall: 1800-CALL-GFI Fax: 61 (8) 8424 3199 Email: Richard.Rundle@gfiap.com

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Zanita Zammit
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