Did you know that AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) carries viruses? Turns out, AIM carries some of the worst worms and they are attacking more and more corporate users more and more frequently. The worm also leaves behind some nasty treats including spyware and adware applications such as 180Solutions, Zango, Freepod toolbar, MaxSearch, Media Gateway and SearchMiracle.

So what? Well the AIM worm will eat up your system resources, making your PC run very slowly. Additionally, the programs will diable security settings on your PC so that others can get your passwords and usernames.

What can you do? Never click on links in IM messages unless you know the sender and there is a clear business reason to click.