The Matcher worm, the latest virus to have taken the world by storm, appears to have originated in SA.
The mass-mailing worm spreads via e-mail, tempting the loveless with promises of matchmaking.
Ian Melamed, chief technology officer of SatelliteSafe, a South African-based satellite anti-virus company, says the virus was first spotted in the affluent Rosebank suburb of Johannesburg.
"You can never be sure of these things, but we're 90% to 95% certain that it originated here," he says.
Although the virus has been traced back to the Rosebank area, the trail grows cold from there, and further investigation is unlikely without a sponsor. "The problem with all investigations is that they require money. Unless someone is willing to sponsor money for investigation nothing will happen, and there is insufficient fervour within the South African commercial environment," Melamed states.
Other viruses that have originated from SA include the Durban virus, the Pretoria virus and the June 16 virus.
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