The A to Z of security

IM

As corporate email security has improved, and users have got more savvy about not opening every email attachment that lands in their inbox, malware writers have had to turn their attention to other avenues of attack. And the rise of IM, or instant messaging, has given them a new target - not least because of its increasing popularity in the corporate sphere.

Security from A to Z

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A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X
Y is for You
Z is for Zero-day

IM clients are the playground of IM viruses. This malware is spread by an IM user clicking on an executable file attachment or a hyperlink in a chat window which then links through to a malicious website, and the ways of getting those links in front of the end user are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Last year, warnings of a new breed of IM worm that attempts to chat with its victims surfaced, suggesting new and more sophisticated IM worms could well be on the way.