Worm disrupts DaimlerChrysler

A computer virus that wreaked havoc at US media outlets recently also disrupted the Dodge Durango plant in Newark and other DaimlerChrysler plants, reports Delaware online.

The virus was discovered simultaneously at 13 of the 23 US DaimlerChrysler plants last week.

Manufacturing was disrupted for between five and 50 minutes at various plants, company officials said.

The company would not disclose the monetary impact of the disruption or the length of the disruption at the Newark plant, where 2 300 people are employed.

Budget airline EasyJet has cut spam by 65% and improved worker productivity after upgrading its e-mail security technology, reports Computing.

The company`s 3 500 e-mail users were receiving up to 400 spam e-mails a day before EasyJet decided to switch to a managed security service from BlackSpider in April.

The airline, which processes an average 50 000 e-mails a day, has also significantly reduced the number of e-mail-borne viruses and types of harmful software infecting its systems.

"While the amount of spam was below the industry average, the number of e-mails carrying potentially damaging viruses was much, much higher, at over 25% of all our e-mail," said Bill Codd, IT director at EasyJet.

Symantec, maker of the Norton series of anti-virus, security and computer management has announced that it acquired security start-up Sygate for an undisclosed sum, which it will pay in cash, reports the National Business Review.

Sygate makes "end point" tools that ensure devices are compliant with administrator policies before access to a network is granted. This ensures infected devices are not introduced to a network.

"It is critical to have an endpoint compliance solution that will allow companies to leverage their existing IT infrastructure to control the myriad devices connecting to the network," said Enrique Salem, senior VP, security products and solutions at Symantec.