Originally published January 2 2006
New internet worm targets AOL's Instant Messenger
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The worm arrives in a message attachment that says "lol thats cool." Once it is downloaded, the virus turns off security software and invisibly sends itself to the contacts on the user's address list.
Internet security experts have discovered what is thought to be the first web virus to "talk" to its victims to win their trust before infecting their PCs.
* [0] The latest internet worm targets users of AOL's Instant Messenger (IM) service, which allows users to send text messages to each other via their computers.
The program arrives in a message with an attachment that says "lol thats cool" - adopting the internet shorthand for "laughing out loud" or "lots of laughs".
The examples of the worm sighted so far have been isolated, but experts expect similar models to increase in popularity with hackers.
Many viruses are now produced by organised criminal gangs who use them to steal confidential information such as bank details or even to take over victims' computers to host pornography sites and launch attacks on companies' computer systems.
He said: "As virus writers become more sophisticated, businesses need to closely examine their security policies and procedures in order to decide whether instant messaging has a place in their corporate environment.
"While it can be a useful tool for quick communication, it can also be the Achilles heel of the organisation unless steps are taken to secure the business against this type of threat.
Because virus writers are trying to fool people into downloading their virus by pretending to converse with their victim to lull them into a false sense of security, businesses need to tackle this problem on two levels."
"If the company policy restricts or bans the use of instant messaging, it is important that employees understand the reasons behind the decision and the company has the correct procedures to ensure that this type of software can't be installed," Mr Casey said.
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