IM Virus Mutations Up the Security Threat
A record number of instant messaging worm mutations is undermining network security, according to new analysis.
Security and IT administrators have been aware of IM worms and viruses for some time now. How seriously they have been taking that threat just might be another issue, according to some analysts.
And some say it's time to pick up the vigilance.
''Administrators probably need to ratchet up their concern,'' says Patrick Hinojosa, CTO of Panda Software U.S., an anti-virus company. ''I see some concern out there, but I don't see probably as much attention on it as there should be... It's punching a hole through the front-end defenses and then it goes directly back to the network.''
The IMLogic Threat Center, an arm of IMlogic Inc., an instant messaging management and security company, reports that 88 percent of IM worms tracked have mutated at least once in the last 11 months. They also report that there have been a record number of IM threat mutations -- meaning the malware attacking instant messaging software is increasingly producing variants.
Art Gilliland, vice president of products at IMLogic, says there are a few IM worms that have produced more than 100 variants over the last 10 or 11 months. Kelvir is one of them, mutating 123 times this year.
