Worm hits Skype users

The mega-popular voice-over-IP (VoIP) program Skype is warning users that a worm targeting Windows PCs is spreading through it's IM service, putting the popular service under the same kind of pressure that mainstream instant messengers have come under in the past.

Skype spokesman Villu Arak dubs the worm Ramex.a, and like most IM-based worms, it spreads via seemingly innocuous instant messages.

"The chat message, of which there are several versions, is cleverly written and may appear to be a legitimate chat message, which may fool some users into clicking on the link," explains an alert on the Skype site.

Several security companies, including Symantec, F-Secure Corp. and Kaspersky Lab Inc., have already updated their signature definitions to detect and delete the new malware.

As always, think twice before clicking any link from someone in an IM or email, even if it's coming from a friend. If your friend's PC is infected, it will send messages without their knowledge. When in doubt, don't click it.