Just a few users connected to popular instant messaging networks can cause the spread of worms, while choking off communications from "highly connected" users with many IM correspondents can slow the spread of worms, computer researchers say.

Traditional anti-virus technology is too slow to be effective against worms spread by highly connected users, some with hundreds of IM correspondents, because the worms move with great speed, according to a study of IM worms. Halting communications from such users may be one strategy for slowing, or stopping the spread of IM worms, according to Matthew Williamson, who conducted the research while working for HP.

By Paul Roberts at NWF.

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