2002 Sees Virus Slowdown
After a considerable virus growth in 2001, the number of e-mails that were infected by virus was reduced in 2002, statistics from Telenor show. While almost three per cent of all e-mails contained viruses in 2001, the average number for 2002 was 1,2 percent. Telenor is the leading provider of messaging services in the Norwegian market, every day scanning 200,000 of its customers' e-mails for viruses on central servers.
"This is a positive development. We are able to weed out the virus on an early stage, thus preventing it from spreading in the same speed as before. We also believe that the increased focus on the virus problem after the record year 2001 has had a positive effect in 2002. However, there is no reason to call off the virus threat. Virus still represents a threat to businesses, potentially resulting in considerable costs, both in terms of time and financial resources," says Stein Tømmer, director of Internet Services at Telenor Business Solutions.
An increasing amount of business and private customers are choosing to outsource the handling of e-mail security. After launching its Virus Scan service to the consumer market in December 2002, almost 5000 customers have signed up for the service.
"We expect 2003 to shift focus from virus to spam mail. Shortly, Telenor will launch a service that will help customers to manage the increasing flood of spam mail. This is a threat that steals time and capacity, making it an ever increasing torment for companies as well as consumers," said Stein Tømmer.
Further information,
Eirik Ãiestad, Head of Information, Telenor Business Solutions, tel: (+47) 479 01 000