Biodata IT SA, local distributor of Astaro, announces an update to the award-winning Astaro Security Linux network security software that protects against the recently discovered Bropia worm vulnerability targeted against Microsoft`s MSN Messenger.
The newest variant of the Bropia worm - Bropia.f, Bropia.g, Bropia.e, or Bropia.j - spreads through MSN Messenger. It carries a second worm that opens a backdoor and lets hackers hijack the PC. Bropia and its nastier secondary payload spread by sending copies to all the contacts in MSN Messenger`s buddy list. In the background the user`s PC is being infected with another worm named Agobot.ajc.
Says Ingrid Reimsch"ussel, a director of Biodata IT: "This worm, a malicious piece of software, connects to an IRC server and waits for commands from the hacker. It scans systems on the network for older Microsoft Windows vulnerabilities, including the ones which spawned MSBlast and Sasser in the past two years."
The worm runs a key logger to trap passwords and account information. Agobot.ajc also turns off the machine`s audio, perhaps to muzzle any sound alerts from anti-virus software.
Astaro Security Linux has been able to block the Bropia.f worm and its variants since 27 January. Astaro`s software stops the worms at an organisation`s Internet gateway, providing protection long before updates can be installed on all internal servers, desktop PCs and laptops.
Astaro Security Linux can detect and block viruses and worms in both e-mail messages (SMTP and POP3 traffic) and Web pages and file downloads (HTTP and FTP traffic), unlike many anti-virus products on the market that scan e-mail but not Web traffic.
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Astaro develops a complete line of network security products including the Astaro Security Gateway line of security appliances and Astaro Security Linux, a software-based solution. All Astaro products offer six critical security applications - firewall, VPN gateway, anti-virus, intrusion
protection, spam filtering and content filtering - fully integrated on a single management platform.
Biodata IT
Biodata IT South Africa (Pty) Ltd is a distributor of IT security products and ISDN/ADSL solutions. The company`s portfolio includes desktop and content security, e-mail and ISDN line encryption, firewall/VPN products.
Biodata`s concept and market approach is to provide products for the individual areas of IT security, including niche products such as phishing scam protection, VPN/SSL appliances and fingerprint authentication without smart card.
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