What to Do About the Yamanner Worm

Eventually all mail services succumb to some kind of security attack. Yahoo! is no different: Today news arrived about the Yamanner worm, which has infected some Yahoo! Mail inboxes.

You're right to be curious about the worm (think of it as akin to a virus, just more complex in design), so here's the good news: The worm has been stopped and should not infect any further email accounts. You won't see Yamanner messages going forward, but variants could arise in the near future.

If you're a Yahoo! Mail user, here's what to look for and what to do next:

• The Yamanner worm sends emails from the address av3@yahoo.com. Do not open messages from this address, and simply delete any that you do see. The worm will only work if you open the attachment sent from this account.
• Update your antivirus software. For Symantec users, double-click your Antivirus icon, then click LiveUpdate. Follow the prompts to update completely. For McAfee users, double-click your McAfee Security Center icon, then click updates then Check Now. Again, follow the prompts to completely patch your antivirus app.
• Don't have antivirus software already? For the love of Pete, get some! You can get Symantec Norton Antivirus or McAfee VirusScan by clicking the appropriate link. For a free alternative, try Avast! Antivirus.

The best news is that, chances are, your account was probably not infected to begin with. The bug infected only a small percentage of users to begin with, and Yahoo! has already repaired the damage. As always, don't open or respond to suspicious emails. The delete button is your friend!