Media Blog

Instant Messenger Virus

Posted by

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Michael Downing emailed me to say that a friend of his had gotten a virus through Windows Live Messenger. He is wondering if Windows Defender can remove it, and is it for stopping viruses… or just spyware?

Windows Defender is just for certain types of Spyware, and it should be your last line of defense, not the first. A bit better bet is Windows Live One Care. Within a few days of this recording, the newest version of this is due out. It starts around $50.00 a year, and is a bit more comprehensive than this last version. Let’s hope it works much better, as well. However, I’m not going to get into the whole “what protection programs should you use?” debate. I’ll turn that over to all of you in just a moment.

Let’s look at a couple of ways you can keep yourself safe from viruses sent through Instant Messenging programs:

  • Don’t set your messenging program to automatically accept file transfers. If your friend’s machine is infected (and thus the file they send), you will end up infected by auto-accepting the file.
  • Don’t open files without first checking with your friend to make sure they really DID send it. Some types of Malware will cause your messenging program to send out fake links and files without you doing anything.
  • Likewise, don’t open a file without first scanning it with your computer protection program.
  • You can be infected just as easily by clicking a link… so beware what you click! Most of the MSN virus variants out there will make it seem as though your friend sent you a message. Most of these are along the lines of “Check out my newest pictures!” with a link. Clicking on that link will get your machine infected faster than you can sneeze. So again… check with your friend first to make sure it’s really a link to their pictures.

If you suspect (or know) your computer has malware that you cannot get rid of, why not try registering at one of the free malware help forums out there? There are plenty of reputable ones to choose from, such as GeeksToGo.com, WhatTheTech.com, and of course Lockergnome.com.

So now… it’s your turn. What protection programs do you recommend? We need your best shots for Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Trojan, and even Anti-Rootkit. What firewall do you use? You can leave me a comment, or even send me an email to chris@pirillo.com

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: