Lavasoft is taking the challenge head-on to battle the onslaught of fake codecs in the malware industry by releasing a special edition of the Definition File database that contains over 5,000 codec variants.

Forums around the globe are being flooded by victims of malicious codecs, created and regenerated to produce a never-ending stream of malware attacking PCs everywhere. Today, Lavasoft released their extensive database of 5,567 of the most common variants of fake codecs, challenging this yet untamed malware.

A fake codec is one of the favorite methods used by the authors of malware to lure computer users into downloading a file that infects their computer. They masquerade as codecs required to view online videos, then install a fake virus to lure victims into downloading a rogue anti-spyware program to remove it. Other victims have received fake e-greetings or instant messages from friends. The fake codecs have morphed into nearly every type of malware to infiltrate and infect computer users worldwide.

"We are the first to attack the fake codecs with such vengeance," said Lavasoft's Security Center Manager, Christopher Allansson. "The fake codecs manifest at such an intense rate that every security company is scrambling to keep up with them. By identifying nearly 6,000 individual variants, we are setting the benchmark for our competitors to protect computer users everywhere."

More information about fake codecs is available at the Lavasoft Support Forums at www.lavasoft.com.

For more information, please contact Lavasoft AB at press@lavasoft.com