Instant-Messaging Attacks On the Rise

Ant writes "CNET News.com and ZDNet News report that security attacks over instant-messaging (IM) networks became more prevalent in 2005, according to a new study. MSN experienced the largest number of IM security incidents in both 2004 and 2005, while year-on-year incident growth rates were largest on AIM."

Comments

Simple Fix

[jimbolauski]

FTA:
    "We recommend that customers do not click on attachments or links in IM without confirming their validity with the person who sent them"

When is a patch going to come out for this problem, it seems to have been plaguing the net for quite some.

Re:Simple Fix

[meringuoid]

"We recommend that customers do not click on attachments or links in IM without confirming their validity with the person who sent them"

When is a patch going to come out for this problem, it seems to have been plaguing the net for quite some.

Once AOL start requiring (for 'technical' or even 'security' reasons) a set-top box to place on top of the monitor. This will track the location of the user using an inbuilt digital camera. Every so often it will cause a popup message containing suitably spammy text and a linked executable. If the user clicks it, the box deploys its payload: a hollowpoint between the user's eyes.

Think of it as evolution in action.

Re:Simple Fix

[Phisbut]

When is a patch going to come out for this problem, it seems to have been plaguing the net for quite some.

We've been trying to patch human beings for quite a while now, but they just don't seem to stand still. We'll get to it though.

Re:IRC, you say?...

[ZiakII]

Rly? ... cuz my m8 got 0wned by this hacker on AIM. Posted about it on his myspace account if u wanna read it. u think i should tell him 2 go 2 IRC? r ther no hackers there? I'll tell him i heard its saf3r, k? cuz I heard they can get ur IP number on AIM & not on IRC, that true 2?

OMGZ I just pwned some guy yesterday mebe it was u?, haha what a n00b he told me his IP was 127.0.0.1 and I used some 1337 program to pwn his comp and now I have full permission to do it, I think I'll start deleteing his files. LOLZ!

IM virus protection

[192939495969798999]

I'm not susceptible to IM viruses, ever since my friend X_Cindy_X_12345 IM'd me with this link to a special program I had to install. It prevents any kind of issue with the(##*@JN#IN#F____+++ NO CARRIER

Re:Funny IM Exploit Story

[Anonymous Coward]

you lying sack of shit

Re:Just don't use their client

[Ced_Ex]

Does your work use straight MSN?

No. My work uses the homosexual MSN.

More lesbians that way.

Sweet

[somethingprolific]

Hey, this is an interesting article. Anyone who wants to discuss it hit me up on UIN 5050554. Oh wait... nevermind. I forgot that someone jacked my password and changed it last year! I had a low number you skank! Anyway, if you have my password, please place it on my desktop in a text file at 153.145.2.302 Thanks

Re:Obvious

[ozydingo]

Didn't you see their new ad? The new and improved AOL blocks all spyware, foils all hackers, and does you up the butt all with a single mouse click!

Re:Obvious

[heavy snowfall]

- My grandma doesn't use AOL.
- She uses linux, user account.
- iptables, ids.

I was talking about your average grannies in FL. (Their neigbours are probably the spammers exploiting their boxes..)

Always Had Attacks

[Archades54]

Instant messenging has always had great amounts of attacks..on the english language