In August, Microsoft released a patch for Windows that closed a security gap that existed within desktop shortcuts. As it turns out, viruses that exploited these holes were among the most popular during the month of August.
According to security firm Kaspersky‘s Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsk, the exploit "generates vulnerable LNK shortcuts with names designed to attract attention and spreads these across local networks. The malware is launched when a user opens a folder containing one of these shortcuts."
However, Microsoft launched an emergency patch last month, curtailing viruses that took advantage of exploits. Meanwhile, variants of Conficker, a malicious worm, have continued to be popular with cybercriminals. Kaspersky observed the virus held three of the top four spots on the list of malware, which is on par with the worm’s performance over the last three months.
While Microsoft will be unable to patch every security exploit, computer users can still minimize the chance of infection by keeping their antivirus definitions up to date. Additionally, they should stay away from suspicious websites.
Windows security is such a joke. I avoid all these worms with my mac. End of story.