Last year's position : Not Placed

A difficult one to reconcile, given the criminal nature of this individual's activity, but the impact of the Sobig virus writer is not in question.

This isn't just a nod to all the unknown virus writers in the world today. Sobig specifically marries the worlds of spam, virus writing and identity theft. No longer satisfied with short-lived notoriety or simple mischief, Sobig is believed to be the first work of a virus writer with designs on organised crime.

Guaranteed there will be more attacks of this nature and that serious threat will certainly shape trends in technology and legislative circles over the coming year.