The rising tide of instant messaging threats will eventually lead to an automated worm that will strike hundreds of thousands of machines in seconds, IM security firms warn.
According to data collected by IM security vendor IMlogic, the number of instant messaging-oriented attacks climbed by 30 percent over September's. The increase is even more dramatic when compared to last year, said Art Gilliland, the vice president of product management for the Waltham, Mass.-based firm. October 2005 counted 1300 percent more threats than the same month in 2004.
"The continuing trend is the increase in the growth rate of attacks," said Gilliland. "That trend has been consistent through the year."
What's different in the last four to six weeks, he added, is a big boost in the maliciousness of the IM exploits.
"In the past couple of months, threats have gone from simple keylogging and adware to actually disabling security software, rebooting systems, and adding more dangerous spyware to capture specific passwords," Gilliland said.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
