IM Users - Beware of Santa Root Kit

Hi, Micronetters

The following is an excerpt from eWeek magazine:

/A new Christmas-themed worm attack, identified as IM.GiftCom.All, is
underway, delivering an offensive rootkit payload over the AOL, MSN,
Windows Messenger, ICQ and Yahoo instant messaging networks.

The link lures the target into visiting a harmless Santa Claus Web site,
but actually installs a rootkit payload to the victim's machine. The
rootkit payload is often named gift.com and when executed hides itself
on the user's system, attempts to shutdown desktop anti-virus software
and starts collecting the infected user's information for broadcast over
the Internet. Once a machine becomes infected, the worm takes control of
the user's buddy list and broadcasts itself to all available recipients.

/Have a Merry Christmas!

Charles

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles E. James, P/A II
IST/Student Information Systems
U. C. Berkeley California
510-642-8440
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VIRUS - sort of like a worm, but not exactly.
WORM - similar to a virus, but different.
OK,..... so what's the speed of dark?
Use only positive words when talking to others
and when talking to yourself.
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