Microsoft Spreads Education to Stop Virus

After a recent virus targeted users of Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service, the company began taking steps to ensure damage was kept to a minimum. Dubbed W32/Hello.worm, the virus propogates itself upon execution much like the infamous Melissa, but over instant messenger instead of e-mail. MSN Messenger users listed on an infected system will receive a message reading "i have a file for u. its real funny," along with a file named 'HELLO.EXE'. Upon learning of the virus, Microsoft posted information on the MSN Messenger Web site under Known Issues.

"As a general issue, customers can protect themselves by following standard best practices," MSN Product Manager Sarah Lefko told BetaNews. These practices include never accepting a file or running a program whose origin you don't trust, and using a virus scanner with updated definition files.

Microsoft will be focusing on education to keep it's consumers safe and leave anti-virus protection to the experts. "Microsoft actively participates in technical exchanges with the entire virus community, and is working to ensure that anti-virus vendors have all the information we can provide them," Lefko noted. "We feel that by educating our consumers and working with anti-virus vendors, we can help to slow the transmission of viruses."

Lefko declined to answer whether or not Microsoft was working on a Messenger upgrade with added security. "At this time, we don't have anything to announce regarding the next version of MSN Messenger," she wrote.

Secrecy surrounding the messaging client may be due to a fierce rivalry that has built up between Microsoft and AOL, the company's main IM competitor. Both companies have been working hard to match the other's offering, and are expected to offer skinning support in upcoming clients.