How Sophos antivirus software protects against Skype's new mutant worm

Sopho believes the recent outbreak of new Skype worms has highlighted the importance of early virus defense. Worms spread through Skype's instant messaging system have not been able to attack Sophos users, and Sophos defense has successfully resisted the virus threat without requiring a new upgrade.

Worms called w32/pykse-c (also known as RamEx, Skipi, and Pykspa) are spread through Skype chat systems in multiple languages including English, Russian, and Lithuanian. The recipient of the instant message will be invited to click on a link that looks like a JPG image, which is actually a downloadable malware that can be run.

However, unlike many other anti-virus vendors, Sophos does not need to run an updated version to protect users against this malware because Sophos's own behavioral genetic protection technology has successfully identified this malware as mal/behav-103 in advance. Other vendors, however, need to advise users to update their software versions to ensure they are protected against threats.

"Hackers are increasingly creative in attacking PC users," he said. Sophos's millions of users have not been affected by this latest (worm) attack, as our advance protection intercepts PCs without requiring updates. "In the face of huge financial benefits, hackers will never stop trying to sabotage PCs," says Graham Cluley, senior technical advisor at Sophos. Everyone needs to pay careful attention to their online security, including ensuring that security measures are in place. ”

Skype has posted information on the worm outbreak on its official blog.

The latest incident is not the first time Skype has created problems for the system managers responsible for defending the network. In April, Sophos once reported how malware was spread through Skype through a picture of a model dressed in high heels and dressed in clothes. Last year, a Sophos poll of system administrators showed that 86.1% of administrators expressed a desire to gain control over the use of VoIP, and 62.8% of administrators expressed the need for appropriate restrictions.

"The fact that Skype contains instant messaging has also attracted the attention of system administrators because it is highly likely to be a conduit for data leaks and malware violations," Cluley said. More and more companies are making decisions about what instant messaging tools can be used at work and whether they can use instant messaging tools to communicate with the outside world. ”

Sophos recommends that companies choose reliable solutions to effectively control network channels and defend against spam, hackers, worms, and viruses, and to protect their own network security.