Perhaps this is one reason why 2002 has been relatively quiet in terms of viruses. Virus writers are hunkered down, preparing a new evolution in virus code. But security researchers are already thinking about what those evolutionary changes might look like, so (it's hoped) we can be prepared to fight these new digital pests if and when they actually appear.

First, they'll likely try to maximize their effect by hitting every server on the Internet that they can. And they won't take advantage of just one software vulnerability; they may try infiltrating systems through a number of vulnerabilities before moving on to the next server. The Nimda worm, which first appeared in September 2001, did this in a limited way.


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