Instant Messaging (IM) software vendor Imlogic has
identified a 1,500% increase in security threats in October 2005
compared to October 2004.
The severity of attacks matches the hike in volume. Over 60% of the
worms detected could disable existing desktop security software and
undermine traditional existing antivirus protection.
"The alarming prospect of IM threats that disable virus protection
software is a wake-up call to enterprises to put additional
protection for defence-in-depth," says Imlogic's chief technology
officer Jon Sakoda.
IM threats pose a particular problem for traditional antivirus
software because they mutate so fast. AOL is the most common victim
of attack, attracting 66% of threats, followed by MSN with 33% and
Yahoo! with just 1%. Companies can combat the risks by educating
users not to click on a link attachment.
