What's in a name? Plenty, if you ask a computer virus researcher who is responsible for
designating the latest malicious code spreading on the Internet.
Antivirus experts say there are specific guidelines for naming computer worms. Not
surprisingly, the first rule dictates that the name should be anything other than what
the virus writer wants it called. Beyond that, researchers look to the code, to its
message, or the situation to name worms as they find them.
Sometimes the process is more random. Who would have guessed that the Code Red virus got
its name from an eEye Digital Security researcher's
beverage of choice -- the cola variety of Mountain Dew soft drink -- the night they
picked through the corruptive code.
No Names Or Dates
Symantec Security Response senior
director Vincent Weafer, who referred to Code Red's caffeine-based name, told NewsFactor
that there are some things researchers do not use when naming worms:
"We don't use the name of the virus writer because we don't want to give name
recognition for something that's done for publicity, and we don't use the date because
there are so many trigger dates and it's such an easy thing to change that it wouldn't
make any sense," Weafer said.
"After that, it comes down to the researcher and what they find unique about a
particular virus," Weafer added.
No Recognition
Experts said virus writers almost always name their worms or offer clues as to what they
want them named, and virus researchers almost always choose something else.
"We look to rename it because we don't want to acknowledge them or play into what
they're trying to accomplish," Network Associates
director of antivirus research Vincent Gulotto told NewsFactor. "As far as what the
virus writer wants it to be, I'm not really sure that we care."
Symantec Security's Weafer said implications and connotations of virus names are also
considered, referring to the Goner worm, which
might have been called Pentagon but was dubbed Goner to eliminate association with last
year's terrorist attack on the Washington D.C. building.
Weafer said that while researchers often look only at the code of a computer worm and
not the e-mail message, Goner got its name from its references to "leaving" and "I have
to go."
Calling By Code
Experts said virus names come from the researcher who first finds and announces them.
"The name is typically driven by something they see in the code or something the virus
does," Network Associates" Gulotto said. (continued...)
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