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IM Systems Under Attack

Earlier this month, MSN Messenger was subjected to a worm attack in which keylogging software was installed on victims' PCs after they clicked on a link.
Businesses have started cracking down on IM use, restricting it to business purposes and installing specialized security and monitoring software. Media General Inc., an operator of newspapers, TV stations, and interactive media in the Southeast, uses software from IMlogic to control access to AOL Instant Messenger, monitor IMs, and detect malicious code, says Mike Miller, director of support services. Access is limited to about 130 users, most of them in the interactive division, Miller says. No one at the company uses Yahoo Messenger for business purposes, but there have been reported incidents involving AOL Instant Messenger.

Hackers are increasingly discovering soft spots in IM security. The IMlogic Threat Center, which aggregates reports of IM security risks, recently reported a 50% monthly increase in reported IM incidents and more than 30 new IM threats including viruses, worms, and spam over IM (SPIM)/malware. Eighty-one percent of reported incidents included IM virus or worm propagation, 70% targeted MSN Messenger, 18% targeted Yahoo Messenger, and 12% targeted AOL Instant Messenger. The Kelvir, Bropia, and Bizex worms are the most frequently detected IM infections in corporate environments, according to the report.

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