Never ever click an unsolicited link. Many internet users learned this the hard way when their computers started acting up or their social networking accounts just suddenly started sending weird messages and invites to everyone in their network.
Of course, that was in a website. Viruses can’t spread through Skype, can they? Actually, they can. Only this month, a virus has begun infecting unsuspecting Skype users, getting them to click on a link with the message “LOL is this your new profile pic?” Once a user clicks the link, it begins to download a compressed, or zip, file. This then installs the virus to your system.
So what does the virus do? Well, for one thing, it exploits your Skype’s API or Application Programming Interface, the sort of nerve system of the program. From there, it can do all sorts of damage: from stealing all your passwords, to recruiting your computer to a botnet.
Dorkbot attacks, one variant of which is this lol virus threat, have actually been seen in many forms over the past few years. They show up in Facebook and Twitter messages, so people should be pretty aware of them. But then again, Facebook and Skype are two very different environments. Admit it, the implied privacy of a Skype chat makes you just a bit more trusting of the links that your Skype buddy might send you. And it is a bit awkward if you accuse someone you’re talking to of sending you a virus link.
However, you should not let those things get in the way of your online safety. When a person sends you a link out of nowhere, or if the message itself seems out of character or out of topic, you should tell the other person that they might have a virus and that they should clean up their system.
These are great suggestions for preventing the spread of this new virus on Skype. Of course, it’s always wise to err on the side of caution, so you should also consider updating to the latest version of Skype, as this is more resistant to viruses.
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