A variant of Sobig, Sobig-F was so efficient that just a few infected machines could send thousands of messages. Sobig-F created a denial-of-service effect on some networks, as e- mail servers became clogged with copies of worm.

According to Mikko Hypponen, manager of anti-virus research for Finland-based F-Secure Corp, Sobig-F sent an estimated 300 million copies of itself.

Computer Economics, Inc. states, "Nearly 63,000 viruses have rolled through Internet, causing an estimated $65 billion in damage." However criminal prosecutions have been few, penalties light and just a handful of people have gone to prison for spreading destructive bugs.

Why is so little being done? Antiquated laws and, for many years, as crazy as it sounds, a "wink, wink" or even admiring attitude toward virus creators.

One person has been sent to prison in United States and just two in Britain, authorities say. But low numbers are "not reflective of how seriously we take these cases, but more reflective of fact that these are very hard cases to prosecute," said Chris Painter, deputy chief of computer crimes at U.S. Department of Justice.

So what can you do to protect yourself against computer viruses?

Well, first and foremost, make sure you have proven anti-virus protection like like Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee's ViruScan.

In addition, If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend installing Microsoft's Service Pack 2. SP2 tightens your PC's security with a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, newly minted Security Center gives you one easy-to-use interface for keeping tabs on your PC's security apps.

"Male. Obsessed with computers. Lacking a girlfriend. Aged 14 to 34. Capable of creating chaos worldwide."

Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but to me, above description sounds more like someone with a few "bats in belfry!"

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net

Another factor to consider is dependencies on other software packages. Some systems, like Microsoft CMS, require you to license not only CMS product, but a number of other related products which are required for CMS to work properly. Make sure you check database requirements, server and OS requirements, and whether third party components are needed to create templates or maintain site in future. And of course, never forget those frequently shocking consulting fees that are often part and parcel of any major implementation. Add it all up and you will find that some systems which may initially appear to be attractively priced are, in fact, quite expensive.

One issue many companies fail to consider is how well CMS can be tailored to fit firm's existing work flow. Most systems will give you some flexibility in assigning roles and permissions. Systems vary in complexity from offering only a set of pre-defined roles to completely customisable user systems. Permissions, editorial review, and scheduling are related concepts: Does your firm need to put content through a review and permissions phase and does your firm need to schedule start/stop days or pre-schedule content (load content before start date)? Look for a system that matches, or can be tailored to match, your existing structure and work flows, otherwise you will face challenges in modifying offline processes and training staff.

There's no magic formula for finding right CMS. The market is very fragmented and many systems use similar labels to provide widely disparate levels of functionality. It is essential that you be proactive about approaching vendors and go in door knowing what you need _ put burden on them to show that they can meet your needs. Have clear requirements and research best practices so that you are equipped to deal with this sometimes and often expensive buying decision.

written by: Ric Shreves, http://www.waterandstone.com