Tips for IM (Instant Messanger, Yahoo Messanger etc) safety

[Internet Doctor]

Instant Messenger worms are becoming increasingly more sophisticated -
and more prevalent. To avoid infection, treat IM as suspiciously as
you should be treating email. These tips will help you avoid
infection:

Don't be click-happy Don't click any link received in IM unless you've
first confirmed that the sender intended it. This includes links
contained in 'away' messages - these 'away' messages are often
frequent targets of IM worms.

Beware IMs bearing attachments Don't open any attachment received
unexpectedly - verify that the sender intended it. Make sure you
enable file extension viewing so you're not fooled by the infamous
double-extension ruse. Before opening any attachment, scan it first
using up-to-date antivirus software. (The Kaspersky online scanner is
superb for quickly checking single files less than 1MB).

More is *not* merrier Keep the number of IM clients to a minimum. IM
worms target specific clients, though multiple clients might be
targeted. For example, the 2002 FloodNet IM worm sent its infectious
message to both

AIM and MSN Instant Messenger users. Thus, the more IM clients used or
supported, the more likely you are to be victimized by an IM worm.

What to do if infection strikes If you do get hit by an IM worm,
remember that all of your contacts are now vulnerable. To avoid
sending the infection to others, disconnect from the Internet until
you are able to completely remove the infection. If you need Internet
access to obtain antivirus software or updates, ask a friend to use
their computer and burn the files to CD. If this is not an option,
uninstall the IM client until after you've properly cleaned the
infection. Of course, always keeping your antivirus software up-to-
date will avoid this last minute scramble for protection.