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| Viruses are beginning to spread through files sent via IM. |
“Viruses will no longer be able to find a way to thrive in email, but they are increasingly migrating to IM,” said Francis Costello, Technical Director of Akonix (USA). “The number of IM worms in the first quarter of this year was about 40, doubling from the entire year of 2004, but that number is still only a quarter of the nearly 170 cases recorded in the second quarter.”
IM viruses target users of instant messaging services by scanning the friend list in a particular chat account. Next, they send a message, often saying, “Hehe, I just found a really great movie :)” or “Check out this picture” along with a link containing malware.
Some hybrid worms can spread simultaneously through both instant messaging networks and peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing, such as Win32.VB and Bropia. August saw the emergence of the Kelvir.HI virus, which boasts exceptional language capabilities, being able to spread in under 10 different language versions. In September alone, Akonix recorded 7 new versions of Mete and Simbag… On average, IM networks are enduring daily attacks with tactics that are rudimentary yet effective.
To protect themselves, users need to install real-time antivirus software and remain vigilant against all links.
