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IMlogic: Viruses are Spreading over Public IM Networks
[August 24, 2005]

IMlogic: Viruses are Spreading over Public IM Networks


By TED GLANZER
TMCnet Communications and Broadband Columnist

For those who already can't recall a world without Google Talk, take heed.  It ain't all fun 'n games in the IM world.  Avast!  Thar be dangers a lurkin' out there, aye!



Indeed, IMlogic announced in a statement today that it is warning its customers that the Tixanbot Trojan and Guapim worm are being spread through instant messaging.

According to the company statement, users infected with Tixanbot will have their security protection shut down and will broadcast messages to everyone on the users' MSN Messenger contact lists.  The messages will include a link to download the virus.


The Guapim worm works similarly, although "it uses MSN Messenger and another leading public IM network, as well as other P2P file sharing networks to distribute links to download a variant of the Spybot worm."

IMlogic recommends in its statement that organizations protect themselves by updating all desktop antivirus solutions, the most recent security patches have been applied, and that all out of date IM clients have been blocked from accessing IM networks.

"Organizations should also leverage their current firewall security products to block unwanted peer-to-peer and chat technologies," according to the company statement.

Today's news comes on the heels of IMlogic's announcement of the propagation of the Zotob and IRCbot worms through instant messaging.

In terms of individual prevention, parents, if abstinence is out of the question, make sure to counsel your children about the importance of practicing safe IMing. 

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Ted Glanzer is assistant editor for TMCnet. For more articles by Ted Glanzer, please visit
http://www.tmcnet.com/tmcnet/columnists/columnist.aspx?id=100033&nm=Ted%20Glanzer

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