Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity
    • IT Management

    Researchers Chart Sizable IM Threat Growth

    By
    Matt Hines
    -
    May 3, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      New research indicates that hackers are increasingly turning their efforts toward IM-borne attacks, with experts saying that businesses and end users remain largely ignorant to the growing problem.

      According to the latest report from anti-malware applications vendor Postini, the sheer volume of instant messaging threats it tracked during April 2006 increased by nearly 25 percent, compared with the number of similar threats it detected during March. While the percentage of IM traffic that included viruses remains relatively low, at less than 1 percent of all the IM conversations monitored by Postini during April, the shift toward IM threats appears to be gaining momentum, company officials said.

      As evidence of the increasing sophistication of IM attacks, Postini said it discovered a variant of the Mytob virus, which previously had been seen only in e-mails, that was leveled at all major IM and enterprise messaging clients. Among the Trojan horse viruses that are being delivered via IM were the IMFlood and JahuKit attacks, while related worm viruses included the Appflet, YahooSpy, Mpass and MSNFake threats.

      /zimages/2/28571.gifResearchers say automated IM worms are inevitable. Click here to read more.

      “Unfortunately the hackers are out in front of the good guys in terms of recognizing that IM is a very palatable way to attack desktops,” said Andrew Lochart, senior director of marketing for Postini. “Since the hackers have perfected their craft in e-mail, in terms of what the payload does when it gets to a victims computer, were seeing every variation of virus being delivered over IM, from rootkits to keystroke loggers and worms.”

      Postini maintains that security threats aimed at IM systems, file-sharing tools and other real-time communication technologies increased by just under 1,700 percent in 2005, compared with 2004, with a total of over 2,400 unique attacks. The firm said that 90 percent of the of IM-related security attacks it observed during 2005 included worm propagation, while 9 percent delivered viruses and only 1 percent of the threats utilized known client vulnerabilities or exploits.

      From a regional perspective, Lochart said that U.S. companies tend to be at an even greater risk because IM applications have become such popular workplace productivity tools across the nation, while far fewer European workers are using the messaging systems.

      As with other forms of IT threats, Postini contends that IM attacks are increasingly being launched by organized criminals looking for financial returns from their efforts, versus the script kiddies of years past who merely sought to gain fame via the creation of more nuisance-oriented types of malware.

      “One of the things that has limited the adoption of protective measures for IM is the nature of viruses in general, as the writers are looking for a way to hide their attacks instead of trying to let you know that they are on your computer,” Lochart said. “And if youre a hacker, spammer or phisher, youre realizing that the e-mail virus filters have gotten a lot better while IM remains largely unprotected, which is just the sort of opportunity that these guys are looking for.”

      /zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

      Matt Hines
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×