Naming Confusion Hinders Response

In "Virus Naming a Lost Cause", Robert Lemos discusses the age-old problem of virus naming. At issue are dozens of different virus names assigned to a single threat. Lemos points to the confusion surrounding the many names assigned to the Nyxem aka KamaSutra aka Blackmal worm, which has a malicious payload that executes on the third of each month. Referring to the Common Malware Enumeration (CME) Project, Lemos claims "the incident became the first success--albeit a moderate one--for an effort to create a single identifier among responders for common threats."

The distinction is a dubious one - Nyxem was discovered on January 17th, 2006 and a CME designator (CME-24) was not assigned until a week later, on January 24th. However, assuming the organization can eventually become more nimble, the CME program does have promise.

What's In a Name?

Nyxem, KamaSutra, Blackmal Worm

How Viruses Are Named