Hackers are now finding a new target for mainstream America. Instant messaging (IM) is no longer just used by teenagers to talk to their friends. Over 103 million people in America use instant messaging software.  More and more of the people using them are in businesses for their daily communications because it is much faster and more convenient than email. The security problems brought with instant messaging could be worse than email. Last month, there was over 5 times more instant messaging malware than in the previous month. Also, there have been over 16 times as much instant messaging malware last year as in the previous year and it continues to grow. Many people using instant messaging do not have antivirus software that specifically protects them for instant messaging. The problem with this is that an IM virus on a home computer only affects one computer but an IM virus on a corporate computer could affect the whole corporation. Many hackers are targeting IM for this reason. Here are some ways to keep safer while using IM:

• Always know who you are talking to and do not accept strange IMs.
• Use antivirus software specifically designed for instant messaging.
• Never click on a link in an IM unless you know what it is.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 11th, 2006 at 10:31 am and is filed under Security.