Thursday, 13 September 2007

Recent Skype Worm Scare Not First Incident

The recent worm outbreak on the Skype network is apparently not the first time that the popular peer-to-peer Internet telephony network has raised questions for system administrators tasked with securing their networks.

According to IT security provider Sophos, in April, it reported how malware was spreading via Skype offering pictures of a scantily clad model wearing stiletto high-heeled shoes. In a poll conducted last year, Sophos said that administrators revealed that 86.1 per cent wanted the power to control the use of VoIP in their companies, with 62.8 per cent saying blocking was essential.

"With so much money to be made, the hackers aren't going to stop trying to break into PCs anytime soon. Everyone needs to take safety seriously online, which includes ensuring that a secure defense is in place," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

The recent Skype worm outbreak saw the W32/Pykse-C worm (also known as Ramex, Skipi or Pykspa) spread via Skype's chat system in a variety of languages including English, Russian and Lithuanian. Recipients of the instant messages were invited to click on a link to what they believe will be a .JPG picture, but is in fact a downloadable executable.

"The fact that Skype also contains an instant messaging component also raises concerns for system administrators, as it is potentially an avenue for data leakage as well as malware infestation," continued Cluley. "More and more companies are setting a policy as to what instant messaging client is to be used in the business, and whether it can be used for communicating with the outside world."