This summer of 2004 we are seeing a clear shift: the focus of infections has moved from email to MSN Messenger. Variants like Kelvir automatically send links to all of the victim’s contacts, often with messages that appear legitimate and arouse curiosity. The popularity of Messenger in Portugal makes these campaigns highly effective. Most of the received files present themselves as photographs, “updates,” or quick utilities. At the same time, Trojans distributed in password-protected ZIP files continue to circulate, making automatic filtering difficult.
This type of malware is beginning to show signs of interest in stealing credentials, something that could become a trend by the end of the year.
Prediction and recommendations:
Attacks via Messenger are likely to intensify, with more personalized messages and variants focusing on sensitive data.
I recommend avoiding any unsolicited transfers and keeping Messenger updated.
For users with older routers like the ZyXEL Prestige 650, it is wise to activate the internal firewall to reduce external scans.
