This is the latest in a series of monthly charts counting down the tenmost frequently occurring viruses as compiled by Sophos, a world leaderin corporate anti-virus protection.

For March 2002, the chart is as follows, with the most frequentlyoccurring virus at number one:

1. W32/Klez-G (Klez variant) 23.7%
2. W32/Badtrans-B (Badtrans variant) 22.8%
3. W32/Magistr-B (Magistr variant) 6.9%
4. W32/Fbound-C (Bound variant) 6.8%
5. W32/Sircam-A (Sircam) 4.8%
6. W32/Magistr-A (Magistr) 3.6%
7. W32/Gibe-A (Gibe) 3.0%
8. W32/Caric-A (Caricature) 2.1%
9. W32/Hybris-B (Hybris variant) 1.7%
10. W32/Klez-E (Klez variant) 1.5%

Others: 23.1%

"Despite the appearance of new viruses like Bound and Caricature, it'sKlez and Badtrans that have snatched the top slots this month," saidGraham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus. "Thisdemonstrates that it isn't just the newer viruses with higher profilesthat users should be looking out for. Just because a virus isn'thitting the headlines doesn't mean it isn't continuing to causeproblems."

The Caricature (W32/Caric-A) and Bound (W32/Fbound-C) email worms, bothof which emerged during March, attempt to play further confidence trickson computer users. Caricature poses as a screensaver of Bill Clintonand Bound masquerades as a security patch. Once again, both of theseworms can be protected against with anti-virus software and safecomputing practices.

510 new viruses were discovered and protected against by SophosAnti-Virus during March 2002. The total number of viruses Sophos nowdetects and protects against is 73,079.

For more information about Klez, please visit:
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32klezg.html

For more information on Badtrans, please visit:
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32badtransb.html

Graphics of the above Top Ten chart are available at:
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/imgallery/topten

For more information about safe computing visit:
http://www.sophos.com/safecomputing
Compiled by Sophos's technical support team, the top ten chart iscollated from submissions to Sophos's 24 hour, 365 days a year technicalsupport service.

ABOUT SOPHOS:
Sophos is one of the world's largest specialist developers of anti-virussoftware. The products are sold and supported through a global networkof subsidiaries and partners in more than 150 countries. SophosAnti-Virus is widely used by large corporations, banks and governments.