Have e-mail viruses had their day?

Attendees at the Infosecurity Europe conference in London have predicted the end of e-mail-borne viruses, suggesting the problem has simply had its day.

However, the most severe issue users now face is the growing problem of spyware, according to some, which is more than ready, willing and able to fill the void.

Dan Hubbard, senior director of Websense Security Labs, said the number of e-mail-borne viruses is falling and will continue to do so, while David Perry, global director of education at Trend Micro, said these things come in ages and the age of e-mail viruses has simply come to an end.

Larry Bridwell, content security programs manager at ICSA Labs, added: "If you look at virus history I liken it to the ocean. You stand by the ocean in California and see these great big waves coming in, getting bigger and bigger before they hit the shore. People are always going to surf each of those waves as it comes in.

"There's only so much you can do with e-mail. The problem people face now in using that to carry out any criminal act is that we know how e-mail works and we know how to stop it."

However, he warned the problem of malicious code in other forms won't go away.

"These waves don't die, that water goes back out into the ocean and people will surf in on the next big wave."

Many at Infosecurity this week believe that next wave, upon us now, is the problem of spyware.