Friday, March 25, 2005

Firm Warns On Phishing Over IM

San Diego-based Akonix Systems warned today that the firm has begun seeing phishing attacks over instant messaging channels. Phishing, the use of falsified email messages to users in an attempt to lure them to expose their account numbers and logins to bank accounts, has been gaining rapidly as one of the major issues with the Internet. Unsuspecting users open themselves up for identity theft or hacking into their bank accounts when they respond to the messages and enter their passwords and information. Akonix said that it is now aware of phishing attacks that use Yahoo's Instant Messenger (IM) functions, and warned users and companies on putting a instant messaging firewall (like those provided by Akonix) in place.