With over 300 million users sending over one billion instant messages every day, it's not surprising that malicious attacks against IM programs are on the rise.

	WEEKLY REPORTS Latest security updates Top 10 Threats

Once an infected link has been clicked, IM attacks spread by automatically sending themselves to everyone on your buddy list. While very annoying, this has traditionally been the extent of the damage. However, these threats have increased 15-fold over the last year and have also shown an increase in damage.

A new IM worm, known as IM.GiftCom.All, replicates through buddy lists as usual. This time, however, when you click the link that you assume is from your buddy, the worm also installs a rootkit onto your computer. This rootkit is designed to hide itself and other malicious programs from you and your anti-virus software. It also installs a keylogger onto your machine, all while showing you a nice picture of a smiling Santa Claus.

To be safe, ask your internet buddy if she meant to send a link before you click on it.

Information, Protection and Prevention -- More About Instant Messenger attacks and IM.GiftCom.All
• IMlogic definition of the worm

• IMlogic threat report

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* Reading: Solutions, Prevention & Remedies
Additional summary information related to a specific type of solution or prevention that you should be considering. Depending upon the week, this section may have:
• Recent Windows security releases from Microsoft
• Recent updates to widely used anti-spyware programs
• Recent updates to widely used anti-virus programs
• Recent updates to other security programs & devices (ex: Firewalls, routers)
• Recent updates to various applications in wide use

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Read: Top Threats
These are viruses that are currently on the watch lists of major anti-virus software companies.

Name
What the threat is called. We use the name given each virus by Panda Software. Sometimes other anti-virus companies give the same threat a different name. Usually they use similar names.

Type
There are different characteristics associated with different types of threats.
• Virus - has the ability to replicate or infect computers or other programs
• Trojan Horse (or Trojan) - appear to be harmless programs when you get them. They unleash their payload when you double-click, open, or execute them.
• Phishing - a Web site or e-maill message posing as another company - usually one you know to fool you into giving the sender personal information.
• Worm - self replicates onto additional disks, computers or networks
• Spyware - installs on your system to collect information about your activity, preferences or interests
• Hoax - false messages sent by e-maill to mislead the recipient
• Backdoors - opens a security hole that allows outsiders to take control of your computer
• Dialer - uses your telephone to dial an outside number - sometimes a number that costs you money when dialed

Affects
Not all viruses affect all types of systems. Some, for example may affect only Windows 98 and 95, but not Windows XP or NT. Others affect all Windows systems, but not Macintosh. In this column, we show you the consumer systems that the threat is known to affect. We don't always include the servers that operate in your company's backroom.

Alert level
The level of awareness that anti-virus vendors suggest you need to have for each threat listed.
For each threat listed, we'll post a corresponding link here, so you can get more information to help you recognize, diagnose, prevent, and repair the problem.