Virus 'Santa' harasses messaging services

Virus writers are taking advantage of Santa Claus's image to trick users of America Online's instant messaging (IM) system, Microsoft MSN and Yahoo to click on files containing dangerous software.

According to US security firm IMLogic, IM.GiftCom.All worm will make people think that they have just received a link containing a Christmas greeting file.

Those who click on this file will see a picture of a snowy old man who doesn't know that a rootkit program has quickly infiltrated their computer system. Rootkits, the tool designed to work that cannot be detected by security software and have just begun to appear on recent IM networks, will gain control, assisting an attacker to spread messages to places only other.

Deep within the instant messaging network can spread at a rapid rate because they are in the message that seems to be from a friend on the list. " IM.GiftCom.All has an average dispersion, but in terms of the potential to damage the system, they are much more dangerous ," IMlogic recommends.