Seeing that 2 of my contacts in MSN have fallen prey to the new MSN virus, I figured that I should write about it. The modus operandi of this virus is that it sends an offline message containing a link to the MSN contacts found in the host account.Once the contact clicks on that link his/her account will be compromised and the bot located in the server logs on when the MSN user is offline to further propagate this virus. So to keep yourself safe, don't click on any links sent to you as an offline message. In fact do not click on any files sent to you unless you verify with the MSN contact. Take note when receiving files from people you're not familiar with. Always perform a scan of the file. Try to back up your critical files whenever possible. A virus attack is often very damaging and you can spend a lot of time trying to recover your files.
I have had backdoor trojan before and its rather frightening because the hacker can actually control your computer remotely. When you find your typing being overwritten or your drives opening and closing by themselves it is most likely you have fallen victim to this. The only way is to disconnect from internet and run a full system scan. You will also have to change your passwords.
Kaspersky Antivirus software is rather effective and I would recommend it as a good protection for your computers. Although it can be slightly irritating at times, it does its job well.
