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Three-quarters of European businesses surveyed said they believe viruses will become more dangerous, while two-thirds believe the frequency of attacks will increase, according to e-mail security firm MessageLabs.

Natasha Staley, information security analyst at MessageLabs, said Tuesday that given the massive increase in virus activity over the past couple of years, it's likely this alarming growth will continue.

The greatest concern to the antivirus industry, however, will be the fact that many businesses believe time is running out for companies whose protection from malicious software now lags behind the advances being made by virus writers.

According to separate research from the FBI, 99 percent of businesses have antivirus protection. Yet in 2003, 82 percent were attacked by a virus, resulting in more than $200 billion in losses.

Therefore, it's perhaps unsurprising that only 35 percent of respondents to the MessageLabs survey expressed confidence in traditional antivirus software, while 43 percent said they are no longer confident about the protection it affords. Almost a quarter of respondents (22 percent) said the changing face of virus threats means traditional antivirus products will be obsolete within the decade.

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Source: c|net