IM
IM
Instant messaging requires the use of a client program that hooks up an instant messaging service and differs from e-mail in that conversations are then able to happen in realtime. Most services offer a presence information feature, indicating whether people on one's list of contacts are currently online and available to chat. This may be called a 'Buddy List'. In early instant messaging programs, each letter appeared as it was typed, and when letters were deleted to correct typos this was also seen in real time. This made it more like a telephone conversation than exchanging letters. In modern instant messaging programs, the other party in the conversation generally only sees each line of text right after a new line is started. Most instant messaging applications also include the ability to set a status message, roughly analogous to the message on a telephone answering machine.
Popular instant messaging services on the public Internet include Qnext, MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, Google Talk, .NET Messenger Service, Jabber, QQ, iChat and ICQ. These services owe many ideas to an older (and still popular) online chat medium known as Internet Relay Chat (IRC).
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IM Related Products
Websense Web Security (formerly Websense Web Security Suite) protects against spyware, malicious mobile code, phishing attacks, bots, and other threats. Unlike many solutions, it also blocks spyware and keylogger backchannel communications from reaching host servers. Websense Web Security includes Websense Web Protection Services, to provide phishing protection to help guard Web sites, brands, and Web servers.
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WebBlazer is a critical component of an effective defense-in-depth strategy, the solution combines the industry's most comprehensive security and compliance URL filtering offerings, one of the most trusted, scalable, and high performing web proxy and cache technologies, and robust outbound web traffic security on high performance dedicated network security hardware.
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The Blue Coat AV510 Series is a purpose-built solution designed for simple integration with Blue Coat SG810 and SG510 series solutions for medium enterprise or distributed environments providing scalable performance with a choice of antivirus engines.
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The Blue Coat AV810 Series represents the next generation in highend appliance platforms for enterprise Web AV. The AV810 series is a purpose-built appliance designed for scalable, enterprise performance, enterprise manageability, and factory-built integration with the Blue Coat SG
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The Blue Coat ProxySG 210 provides an affordable appliance solution for remote offices where direct Internet access requires accelerated performance of business applications and granular control of web communications. At the edge of an organization’s application delivery infrastructure, the ProxySG 210 provides controlled acceleration of business applications across the globally-distributed enterprise.
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The Websense V10000 Web security gateway appliance platform is the industry's most accurate and effective solution for Web 2.0 content control and threat protection, enabling organisations to accelerate business without having to worry about security, productivity and liability threats such as malicious/inappropriate content and data loss.
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Email, instant messaging, and collaboration systems connect your employees, partners, and customers, but they also open doors for cyber-criminals. In this real-time environment, attackers can spread malware, hijack systems, and steal data in a flash. To prevent this instant exposure, instant protection is critical.
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IM Related Product Families
IM Related Industry News
Adware ploy dupes IMers with bin Laden 'news' Beware of instant messages bearing news of Osama bin Laden's capture Several victims told CNET News.com on Wednesday that a new Trojan horse advertising program, called BuddyLinks, masquerades as a news Web site with a story on the al-Qaida leader's capture in an attempt to fool users of America Online's instant-messaging program into downloading software and receiving advertising.
Although the software has some of the properties of an Internet w......
[more] Will IM be the next security culprit? Might instant messaging become the next preferred propagation method for computer worms and viruses? It's not such a remote prospect. The past year has witnessed the rise of several high-impact worms and viruses that shared three common transmission media: e-mail, network scanning or file sharing. While good patch policies and strong security postures minimized massive infections, a few attacks invariably slipped through the cracks and caused network havoc.......
[more] New Worms Mean March Madness for IT Pros The latest "Bagle" worm is something corporate network users definitely didn't order this morning, but it's the return of the Netsky worm that has many security experts worried.
First appearing Friday afternoon, the five Bagle worms -- Bagle.A, Bagle.B, Bagle.C, Bagle.D, Bagle.E and Bagle.F -- wriggle into e-mail in-boxes via a password-protected .zip file, which many anti-virus software applications can't access.
"This is just one more method of......
[more] Spam's irritating cousin, spim, on the loose Consumers ditching e-mail for instant messages to avoid spam are in for an unpleasant surprise. Spim, or instant-messenger spam, is peppering computer screens with increasing frequency. And the problem may get worse as e-mail marketers look for new ways to reach consumers after a federal crackdown on spam.
More than 1 billion spims were sent last year - roughly four times the amount sent in 2002. Another 4 billion are expected in 2004, Ferris Resea......
[more] Illegal file-sharing still 'widespread' on UK corporate networks UK firms are still allowing widespread illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing on their corporate networks despite the threat of legal action from record companies and the security risk it poses.
The findings are revealed in a survey of 500 UK IT managers and HR officers by web and email filtering software company SurfControl.
Two-thirds of those surveyed claim their organisation takes P2P file-sharing seriously. But when......
[more] Big Business of Fighting Spam to Get Bigger The mostly fruitless fight against unsolicited commercial e-mail has created many headaches along with a billion-dollar industry to fight it.
The Radicati Group, Palo Alto, CA, this week estimated that the market for spam-fighting software and other measures will reach $979 million this year, thanks to a 50 percent rise in demand over the past 12 months. The researcher forecasts that the market will reach $1.7 billion by 2008.
The high stakes in......
[more] Spam being rapidly outpaced by 'spim' While the torrent of unsolicited spam emails continues to rise, it is being far outpaced by the surge in unwanted messages sent to the users of instant messaging programs, analysts have warned.
The volume of so-called "spim" is set triple in 2004, according to a new report from the Radicati Group, a technology market research firm in Palo Alto, California.
The company projects that 1.2 billion spims will be sent, 70 per cent of which are porn-related.......
[more] IM spam to triple in 2004 Spam sent via instant messaging (IM) is set to become a major nuisance in 2004, with the number of IM spam messages tripling from 400 million to 1.2 billion, according to research firm the Radicati Group.
The increase in IM spam, also referred to as "spim", will come about due to much greater use of IM among businesses and a rapid increase in published IM names in corporate and public directories, Radicati said in a report.
The overall business IM market will gro......
[more] IM spam piling up, researchers say Spam sent via instant messaging is set to become a major nuisance this year, with the number of such messages tripling from 400 million to 1.2 billion, according to research firm The Radicati Group.
The increase in IM spam, also called spim, will come about because of greater use of IM among businesses and a rapid increase in published IM names in corporate and public directories, a Radicati report says.
The number of business IM users more than double......
[more] UK firms must monitor staff IMs UK firms could be falling foul of corporate accountability regulations by failing to track and archive instant messaging (IM) conversations among workers.
Only 22 per cent of medium-to-large UK organisations monitor IM and just nine per cent say they archive IM data, according to a survey of European IT directors commissioned by storage vendor Hitachi Data Systems.
IM was originally intended as a consumer tool but it has also caught on big time in the workp......
[more] Websense, "Workers chose Web over coffee" Employees would rather be allowed to surf the Internet at work than have a morning coffee, according to a study Given the choice at work between personal use of the Net or a morning cup of coffee, employees say the coffee can go, according to a survey released on Wednesday by Websense, which makes software designed to let companies control employee Net access.
The study also looked at security issues such as workers accessing online hacking tools, s......
[more] Backdoor program gets backdoored The author of a free Trojan horse program favored by amateur computer intruders found himself with some explaining to do to the underground last month, after his users discovered he'd slipped a secret backdoor password into his popular malware, potentially allowing him to re-hack compromised hosts.
The program in question is Optix Pro (Backdoor.OptixPro.12), a full-featured backdoor that allows an intruder to easily control a compromised Windows machine remo......
[more] Companies start to get the instant message Just because everyone's using it won't mean anyone's making much money on it. The number of enterprise instant-messaging users will almost double in 2008 from the estimated 364 million current users, a study from Radacati Group predicts.
Since IM exploded in the consumer market, several companies have been trying to tap into the trend for their corporate customers. IM software makers such as Microsoft and IBM-owned Lotus have been trying--with limi......
[more] IM Worms Could Spread In Seconds Enterprises whose workers use one of the free public instant messaging networks -- the likes of America Online's, Yahoo's, or Microsoft's -- risk malicious attacks that could make the quick-spreading Sasser worm look like a worn-out snail, said a security analyst Friday. "In instant messaging, we have a lot of the same security issues as in e-mail and networks," said Eric Chien, a senior researcher with Symantec's security response team. "Attacks can come in as......
[more] Instant-messaging virus costs a man his job A virus can transmit previous IM conversations to a user's buddy list without his or her consent - and with disastrous consequences Virus attacks are not yet frequent on instant-messaging applications, but the latest threat is likely to send a shiver down the spine of all IM users. A businessman whose computer had been infected by a virus found that his entire buddy list had been sent a record of all his IM conversations, said Derek O'Carroll, managing......
[more] Have a flutter on a worm When will the next big worm strike be? Who will be the next high-profile victim of a DDoS attack? If you know, you could make money at Tradesports.com Controversial Irish Web site Tradesports.com will soon accept wagers on IT security disasters, such as the timing of the next big Windows virus or the most likely victim of a future DDoS attack.
Futures market broker Tradesports.com has been criticised in the past for allowing its customers to gamble on controv......
[more] IBM Research Joins Fight Against Spam IBM Corp.'s research arm on Friday will debut a new spam filtering test platform called SpamGuru at the first Conference on E-Mail and Spam in Mountain View, Calif.
The new offering will make its way to the enterprise with the release of IBM's Lotus Workplace Messaging 2.0 product later this quarter.
SpamGuru, which is designed to work with other anti-spam products already on the market, is a server-based product that combines a number of spam-blocking t......
[more] Give the IT department a helping hand When it comes to e-mail and instant-messaging security policies, IT departments often face the worst of both worlds: they bear most of the responsibility for creating and enforcing basic security policies, while most of the need for these policies involves information that is unrelated to IT, such as the protection of confidential financial or personnel information. When it comes to e-mail and instant-messaging security policies, IT departments often face t......
[more] AOL Promises Fix to IM Security Flaw AOL's Instant Messenger has a security flaw that experts consider particularly dangerous, since IM users are largely unsuspecting of virus deliveries through the AIM door. The flaw spreads through an embedded link and gives hackers control of infected PCs America Online's Instant Messenger client has a flaw that makes users vulnerable to hacker attack. The company has been working to repair the flaw -- which was discovered several weeks ago but not publicly r......
[more] Yahoo Plugs PNG Security Hole Yahoo Inc. has issued a security update to its popular instant messaging service to fix broader vulnerabilities in an advanced graphics format.
Late on Tuesday, Yahoo posted a security update for its Windows version of Yahoo Messenger to fix a series of vulnerabilities in the PNG (portable network graphics) library, or libpng. The library provides a set of graphics routines for PNG files; PNG is an alternative graphics format to GIF.
The PNG library holes, as pre......
[more] New Download.Ject Attack Hits IM Networks The Download.Ject malware attack has resurfaced, using the popular AIM and ICQ instant messaging networks to spread itself.
According to an alert from PivX Labs, the worm targets several known flaws in Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser to redirect compromised machines to Web sites displaying adult advertisement and referral links.
PivX Labs described the latest attack as a variant of the Download.Ject attack, which hijacked a large number of......
[more] Instant messaging cements popularity IM use has spread strongly into the workplace, according to statistics from America Online The use of instant messaging in the workplace and from mobile devices continues to grow, according to an America Online survey released on Tuesday. Nearly 27 percent of all IM users surveyed said they use instant messaging at work. This represents an increase of 71 percent over last year, AOL said.Seventy percent of those who use IM at work do so to communicate with col......
[more] Hackers can launch attacks over IM Hackers have created a 'proof-of-concept' instant messaging tool that can scan and disable networks Security experts have discovered an instant messaging tool that could change the way denial-of-service (DoS) attacks are performed.
Combining the open-source tool nmap -- a program that discovers devices on a network -- with an IM bot, hackers can infiltrate, steal information and carry out denial-of-service attacks on networks, says the director of security for......
[more] Virus alert: Bacros goes back to the future Remember all those hoaxes about viruses that wipe your hard drive? This one actually does... Like pixie boots and Bros, some things are better off left in the 1980s - viruses that spread via floppy discs and tried to wipe hard drives, for example. It seems no one told the virus writers that, though.
Finnish antivirus firm F-Secure has spotted a new virus, Bacros, doing the rounds. Unlike the average virus which spreads over email, IM or networks, Bacr......
[more] IM virus hoax threatens bandwidth drain Remember those 'end of the world virus' hoaxes? Well guess what's found its way to IM... Instant messaging users are being blighted with an increasing number of threats of terrible viruses which are spreading via the popular peer-to-peer application. But just as email users were regular victims of hoaxes several years ago, so this latest scare is similarly fictitious.
One such hoax, propagated by well-meaning recipients who are urged to share the informat......
[more] IM use 'should be monitored' Employees using it to gossip rather than work, apparently... Instant messaging is still used more often for personal reasons in the workplace than for business purposes, a new survey shows.
A report issued on Thursday by Meta Group found that 57 per cent of the people surveyed at 300 companies worldwide use IM at work for personal chitchat more often than for job-related communications.
However, many companies have also adopted a more stringent attitude toward mana......
[more] Why messaging needs controls Only the most ostrich-like businesses can continue to ignore instant messaging According to analyst firm Meta Group, more than half of people who use instant messaging (IM) tools at work use them for non-work reasons. Yup, Meta found that 57 percent of respondents used IM at work for social reasons, while 56 percent use it at home for business reasons.
Straightaway, I interrupted the conversation with my friends over IM to see whether they agreed. After much debate......
[more] Websense Enterprise Version 5.5 gains key safeguards In Websense Inc.'s Websense Enterprise Version 5.5, the Internet access control vendor has effectively added real-time Internet attack protection to its list of dos and don'ts.
Websense Enterprise 5.5 was released last month. Although the real-time database updates, along with a mobile client for laptops, are new, the foundation of Websense Enterprise 5.5 has been around for some time.
Websense Enterprise 5.5 is priced starting at $15 per y......
[more] Companies at risk from instant messaging abuse Two-thirds of organisations have no IM policies in place The majority of global businesses have still not implemented management systems to protect against the potentially serious legal, security and compliance risks associated with employee use of instant messaging (IM).
According to a newly published poll of nearly 300 companies, 60 per cent of respondents stated that they do not have any measures in place to manage employee IM use.
In addition,......
[more] MSN Messenger hit by double-whammy worm A Bropia variant is using MSN Messenger to spread, and is packaged with a second more damaging worm The latest variant of the Bropia worm was discovered on Wednesday evening. It infects users of MSN Messenger by sending itself as a picture of a roast chicken with tan lines. It also releases a second more dangerous worm called agabot.ajc on the infected user's computer.
Adam Biviano, senior systems engineer at antivirus firm Trend Micro, said that although......
[more] IM still a security weak spot, analysts warn The recent flaw plugged by Microsoft in its MSN Messenger software highlights a serious security threat to enterprise security, analysts said. Last Friday, Microsoft forced its millions of MSN Messenger users to download a new version of the software to plug a security vulnerability.
The software giant put the mandatory upgrade in place after a security company posted information that might help a would-be attacker exploit the vulnerability. Users o......
[more] Industry unites against IM spam Days after the first arrest for instant-messaging spam, an innovative software product has been launched to help counter the menace of 'spim' Back in December, instant-messaging (IM) management company IMLogic partnered with security companies McAfee and Sybari (recently acquired by Microsoft) to build IMLogic's Threat Center, which aims to protect users from peer-to-peer and IM threats, such as viruses, worms, spim and malicious code. The centre monitors honeypot......
[more] Worm Chatter Escalates on MSN Messenger Anti-virus vendors report an increased chatter of virus activity on Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Network messenger Sunday night through Monday. In what appears to be a concentrated attack on users of the MSN instant messaging client, security experts warn that several new worms with unique replication techniques have been launched alongside mutants of the known Bropia virus family.
"We are regularly adding detection for new Bropia worm variants," F-Secure......
[more] The strange decline of computer worms Computer worms are becoming less commonplace as virus writers diversify their malware spreading tactics to create the maximum effect for the least possible effort. Email-borne worms, such as NetSky, Bagle and Sober, remain perennial favourites with malware authors but Slammer-style worms are becoming rarer, according to anti-virus firm F-Secure.
Mikko Hyppönen, director of anti-virus research at F-Secure, said that with the single exception of the Santy wo......
[more] Trillian flaw highlights IM security threat A legacy flaw in the latest version of the multi-protocol IM client is said by the company to be of 'extremely low risk', but could be part of a worrying trend Researchers have reported a vulnerability in the Trillian instant-messaging application, adding to the rapid development of IM-related security threats.
Workers at LogicLibrary, a company that makes software development tools, including programs designed to catch bugs before applications go int......
[more] Email worm graduates to IM The Chod.B worm is now spreading over Microsoft's instant-messaging service, after first being observed spreading over email systems last week A worm that first disguised itself as an email from computer vendors now attempts to trick MSN Messenger users into executing malicious files.The Chod.B worm, which was first discovered on April Fool's day, spreads via email purportedly from Microsoft, or security vendors Symantec and Trend Micro.When using MSN Messenger as its......
[more] Worm attack forces Reuters IM offline Reuters has shut down its instant messaging system after suffering an onslaught from a new Kelvir worm, the company confirmed Thursday. The London-based international media company decided to take its Reuters Messaging system completely offline after noticing the attack on its network earlier on Thursday, a Reuters representative said.
The new variant attempted to spread by sending fake instant messages to people in contact lists on infected systems, a te......
[more] Two out of Three UK Company Networks Hit by Spyware A new survey of 500 UK IT departments by SurfControl plc has found 62% of networks are known to have been infected by spyware. More than one in eight of the IT directors, CIOs and managers that participated were unable to identify whether or not their network had been infected.
IT departments are using a range of tactics to protect networks against malware, including desktop anti-spyware software (59%), content filtering (47%) and prohibiting......
[more] Websense: Surfing the Web at Work May Be as Addictive as Cup of Coffee Websense, the world’s leading provider of employee internet management solutions, today announced the results of its sixth annual Web@Work study, the company’s annual survey conducted by Harris Interactive. From February 21 to February 28, 2005, 354 U.S. IT decision-makers who work for organizations with at least 100 employees were interviewed online, and from February 28 to March 21, 2005, 500 U.S. employees who have intern......
[more] UK workers in IM flirt, gossip, bitchfest The increasing use of Instant Messaging (IM) in the workplace is exposing UK companies to fresh security and legal threats, a study out Monday claims. One in six (16 per cent) of 2,000 UK consumers quizzed in a YouGov survey admitted using IM at work to send or receive sensitive company information or documents. A quarter of respondents (25 per cent) used IM to gossip about work colleagues - twice as many men than women use IM for this purpose. Four in......
[more] Yahoo! phishing attack targets Star Wars fans Hackers are exploiting interest in the new Star Wars film to harvest Yahoo! login credentials.
The attack is initiated when a user clicks on a malicious link (yahoopremium.bravehost.com/STAR_GAMES) sent to them from a user on their buddy list. Once at the website, the user is encouraged to enter their Yahoo credentials.
Upon activation, a Trojan collects Yahoo! credentials and then sends messages out to a user's buddy list whether the IM client is......
[more] Aladdin announces eSafe 5 for spyware protection and Web security Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. has announced the availability of Aladdin eSafe 5 that is presented as transforming the way Web security is handled in large organisations, addressing the latest spyware/adware threats with multi-layered comprehensive content protection.
Also introduced in Aladdin eSafe 5 is a gateway solution featuring four layers of spyware protection. Designed to fight the ever-increasing spyware epidemic, Aladd......
[more] IE 7 Busts Some IM Clients The first beta of Microsoft's new Internet Explorer breaks some instant messengers, including the popular Trillian. The only fix: remove IE 7 or purge an offending .dll file.
Reports circulated that other IM clients, including the open-source Gaim, also crash for some users when IE 7 is installed.
The multi-network Trillian won't work with IE 7, Trillian users wrote on the product's user-to-user forums. Uninstalling IE 7, however, returns Trillian to normal operati......
[more] User downloads = spyware hell Spyware is costing companies $130,000 because they do not know what applications are being downloaded onto their networks, a survey has revealed The survey, of 600 IT managers and 1000 end users, shows applications such as IM, peer-to-peer connections and Skype are sneaking onto networks and bringing with them a host of problems.
"Users feel they have the right to introduce these things without realising the implications," said Frank Cabri, VP marketing at Facetime......
[more] Security Firm Warns of IM Worm Less than a week after sounding the warning bell regarding a barrage of threats coming through public Instant Messaging (IM) clients, Akonix Security Center said it has discovered another bug.
The latest IM spyware worm, is named Chode-D, is moving rapidly over leading public IM networks, the security center said. The worm has been classified as a "medium risk."
The firm said it is using its IM malware, SPIM and protocol update system, which automatically push......
[more] 'Track your lover' spyware seller and customers indicted A spyware maker has been indicted for selling software that allowed people to monitor their lovers' online behaviour - and so have his customers.
The man behind the $89 Loverspy program, Carlos Enrique Perez-Malara, has been indicted on 35 hacking charges.
Four of his customers have also been indicted after buying and using Loverspy, which Perez-Malara promoted via spam.
The program would arrive in each recipient's inbox disguised as a......
[more] Businesses sending one billion IMs per day And that's just the ones your boss knows about Instant messaging is the new email for the world's businesses - it's official.
According to a new report from analyst house IDC, IM is now a standard piece of the corporate communication toolkit, with around one billion IMs sent every day between 28 million enterprise users.
Consequently, the analysts are predicting that the value of the enterprise IM market will continue to increase for at least the next......
[more] AIM worm plays nasty new trick A worm found spreading via America Online's Instant Messenger is carrying a nastier punch than usual, a security company has warned. The unnamed worm delivers a cocktail of unwanted software, including a so-called rootkit, security experts at FaceTime Communications said Friday. A rootkit is a tool designed to go undetected by the security software used to lock down control of a computer after an initial hack.
"A very nasty bundle is downloaded to your machine" w......
[more] P2P Attacks Up; IM Hits Down IM security solutions provider Akonix Systems said its research team tracked 22 new attacks on Peer-to-Peer networks in October, a 19 percent increase over September.
The attacks on networks such as eDonkey and Kazaa came at the same time the Akonix Security Center tracked a decrease in attacks on Instant Messaging networks during the same time frame.
Don Montgomery, vice president of marketing at Akonix Systems, said October marked the first month that P2P attac......
[more] IM attacks rocket 1,500 percent The volume of security threats targeting instant messaging (IM) systems rocketed in October 2005 by more than 1,500 percent versus October 2004. The month's threat volume was also 30 percent higher than the previous month, new research has warned. According to the report from IMlogic Threat Center, as the number of threats grew, the payload carried by IM worms evolved to become more malicious. More than 60 percent of the worms identified in October delivered malw......
[more] Virus Poses as Leaked MSN Messenger Beta Internet users are being warned about a new virus that poses as a leaked pre-release version of the MSN Messenger instant messenger program.
Unsuspecting Windows users who install the phony MSN Messenger Version 8 "beta" actually install an IM worm that spreads to their IM contacts, and connects their computer to a remote control "bot" network run by malicious hackers, according to F-Secure Corp., an antivirus firm based in Helsinki.
A Web site, msgr......
[more] Instant messaging attacks rise in 2005 MSN and AOL's IM networks experienced a sharp increase in security incidents in 2005 Security attacks over instant-messaging (IM) networks became more prevalent in 2005, according to a study published on Monday.
The MSN network experienced the largest number of IM security incidents in both 2004 and 2005, while year-on-year incident growth rates were largest on AOL's AIM network, according to the report, from IM security vendor FaceTime Communications.
In......
[more] Cambridge prof warns of Skype botnet threat Voice-over-IP apps could be used to cloak networks of zombies, used to launch denial of service attacks, a Cambridge professor has warned.
Armies of ordinary PCs - "botnets" - that have been infected by a virus and put under malicious control, could be controlled and orchestrated by messages hidden in VoIP traffic generated by programs such as Skype, warned Jon Crowcroft, Marconi professor of communications systems at Cambridge University.
Denial-o......
[more] Akonix Named 2006 'Hot Company' by Info Security Products Guide Akonix Systems, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise-class solutions for ensuring security and compliance for employee use of instant messaging (IM), today announced it was the winner of 'Hot Companies 2006' award from Info Security Products Guide, the world's leading publication on security-related products and technologies published from Silicon Valley, USA. After evaluating more than 600 global security organizations, a team......
[more] Akonix Security Center Tracks 18 IM Network Attacks in January 2006 Akonix Systems, a provider of instant messaging (IM) security solutions, announced that its Security Center team tracked 18 attacks against IM networks in January. The company said that while this figure is a 500% increase from last January's assessment, it is however, a decrease of 45% from December 2005.
The Akonix Security Center also found 22 new threats on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks in January.
Akonix said that January......
[more] Gartner warning on corporate use of IM Gartner is warning enterprises to prepare carefully before they leap into the murky waters of public instant-messaging services, and should look at using new federated systems from the likes of Microsoft and IBM.
Such services show that IM networks designed for consumers are penetrating ever-deeper into the enterprise, Gartner says. While it is useless to resist the trend, companies need to be aware of the additional security risks, nuisance and expense......
[more] Manage & Secure Instant Messaging Akonix L7 Enterprise 4.3 Helps Companies With IM Compliance, Access Instant messaging has taken off as a popular method for people to use to “talk” in real time via the computer. From its origins as Internet Relay Chat and then the advent of ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger, instant messaging, or IM, has taken the world by storm.
It didn’t take long for users to bring their new communications tool into the workplace. Initially, it was purely for nonproductive pu......
[more] AOL developing workplace version of AIM America Online is developing a version of its instant messaging (IM) service for workplace use, an attempt to give the consumer-oriented AIM the security, collaboration and IT management features businesses require, company plans to announce this week. Developed with online meeting specialist WebEx Communications, the new AIM Pro will become available in this year's second quarter. Pricing details haven't been finalized, but it will probably be offered on......
[more] Five Differences Your Company Can’t Afford to Ignore Akonix Systems announced that its Security Center team tracked 12 attacks against IM networks in the month of February, which saw the first ever IM worm spread via instant messaging on the Apple OS X platform.Akonix said attacks during February seemed to go into hibernation while researchers announced that the recent WMF exploit had been sold underground before security experts could patch the OS.Although the threats to IM networks decreased......
[more] Viruses cause most security breaches The DTI has warned businesses that viruses and spyware are an increasing threat, and recommends they deploy multi-level protection Viruses remain the biggest cyberthreat to businesses, according to a government report to be released soon which will also warn that the threat of spyware is growing, . The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) report into information security breaches found that approximately half of businesses said their worst security incident......
[more] IT warned against Skype hype A new report has warned businesses to take security into account before deciding to allow the Skype VoIP service to run free on a company network.Debunking the Hype About Skype, from the Butler Group, agrees that the service can cut long-distance calling charges for many businesses, but only at expense of messing with security policies.Security issues include the difficulty of managing the application from a central point, and the fact that call encryption makes it......
[more] Websense and Crossbeam Systems Combine Web Security and Unified Threat Management Websense, Inc., a global leader in web security and web filtering productivity software, today announced that they have teamed up with Crossbeam Systems®, Inc., a leader in unified threat management (UTM), to offer customers powerful web security capabilities to mitigate today's web-based threats. Websense® Web Security SuiteTM integrated with Crossbeam appliances offer organisations a comprehensive securi......
[more] SurfControl Enables Detection and Control Over Unauthorized Skype Implementations SurfControl, the world leader in Internet content protection, today announced its ability to detect and control unauthorized Skype usage on the corporate network.Skype is a subscription-based Internet client that enables users to make calls anywhere in the world at the cost of a local call. An amorphous application, Skype uses indiscernible encryption and is capable of working through virtually any network address......
[more] Akonix Announces A-Series Instant Messaging Security Products Akonix Systems Inc. has launched its A-Series IM security appliances for enterprise and small- to medium-sized businesses. The new appliances are powered by AkOS, a hardened operating system developed by Akonix for real-time messaging environments.The company has also released version 5.1 of its Akonix L7 Enterprise IM management gateway and Akonix L7 Enforcer, a perimeter security solution that detects and blocks the unauthorized us......
[more] Akonix Adds "Virtual Buddy" to Boost IM Security Akonix has added a "virtual buddy" designed to snitch on infected clients to its Enterprise product.L7 IM Sentry acts as an integral part of L7 Enterprise. When IM users log in through their IM clients, IM Sentry is added to their buddy lists. The software then listens for messages from monitored users, inspecting those that have URLs in them. Upon finding a message with a URL, IM Sentry alerts the IM administrator and places the URL on......
[more] Akonix updates its instant messaging security tools New appliances from instant messaging security specialist Akonix offer improved monitoring and reporting Instant messaging (IM) security specialist Akonix has launched a major new range of hardware and software, plus a new appliance operating system designed to offer greater protection against IM-based threats and increased manageability for IT administrators.Akonix's A6000 appliance offers enterprises protection from viruses and other IM threa......
[more] Akonix Publishes IM Threat Watch for April 2006 Akonix Systems has announced its Security Center team tracked 26 attacks against IM networks in April, the largest number of threats this year, surpassing the previous high of 18 in January 2006. Further research from the Security Center revealed that the increase in IM threats between January 2004 and January 2006 was 17,933%. New worms identified in April include VB-ATA, Skenkly, Gaixinh and IMFlood. The most common attack was the MYTOB virus, w......
[more] Secure Computing Honored With Numerous Reader Trust Awards From SC Magazine Secure Computing Corporation, the experts in securing connections between people, applications and networks,(tm) today announced it was the proud recipient of four Reader Trust Awards at the annual SC Magazine European Awards ceremony held on April 25, 2006 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London, UK. Webwasher(r) Secure Content Management (SCM) Suite won the "Best IM Security" award and "Best Content Sec......
[more] Viruses no longer top security threat Trojans and spyware taking over Early reports of malware distribution in April show that viruses are swiftly declining as a threat in comparison with other malicious software.Separate research from Fortinet and Sophos shows that the top viruses were mainly old timers, and that Trojans and spyware are coming to the fore in their place.Fortinet in particular reported that Adware/BetterInternet was its top threat last month, accounting for nearly one in eight a......
[more] New IM, email bot creates own p2p network Email and instant messenger users are being warned about a new bot in the wild that creates a peer-to-peer (p2p) network of infected host PCs. The "Nugache" worm is spreading as both an email attachment and on AOL an MSN instant messenger (IM) networks, according to a warning from Websense Security Labs. "The command and control channel that is used is unique, as the bot appears to connect to infected peers instead of a static list,"......
[more] Akonix: Highest Number of Spim and Malware Filter Updates Issued This Year Akonix Systems, the provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today announced its Security Center team tracked 31 attacks against IM networks in May, the largest number of threats this year. New worms identified in May include Browaf, Kassbot, Nugache and Propmsn. The most common attack was Tilebot, which had five variants of the original virus. Overall, Akonix se......
[more] IM attacks on the rise in May The number of Instant Messaging (IM) attacks increased by 500 percent in May, Postini reported this week. The integrated message management firm also stated that it registered a 138 percent increase in corporate IM traffic, a statistic that testifies to the growing use of IM in the business world. "The fact that IM messages more than doubled in just one month shows the rate companies are adopting IM as a mainstream business communications tool," said Andre......
[more] Akonix Attains Gold Certified Partner Status In Microsoft Partner Program Akonix Systems, Inc., the premier provider of instant messaging (IM) management, development and security products, today announced it has attained Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in both Networking Infrastructure Solutions and Security Solutions, recognizing Akonix's expertise and total impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, Akonix has demonstrated expe......
[more] AOL unveils corporate IM beta AOL has launched a public beta of its AOL Instant Messenger Pro service. The ISP already operates the world's largest IM network. The new AIM client targets enterprises with features such as integration with Microsoft's Outlook client software and online collaboration tools. AOL has also teamed up with WebEx, a provider of online meeting applications. The beta is available as a free download, but AOL is expected to turn it into a fee-based service when th......
[more] AOL instant messenger worm poses as Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage AOL Instant messenger (IM) users were warned this week of a new worm that poses as Microsoft’s controversial Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program. Researchers at Sophos said the WGA worm, known as Cuebot-K, spreads by AOL Instant Messenger and registers itself as a new system driver service named wgavn. The malware uses Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Notification as a display name and runs during system startup, a......
[more] Microsoft, Yahoo link their online instant messaging systems Yahoo and Microsoft released software that built a bridge between their previously exclusive online instant messaging (IM) systems. The move fulfilled a promise the US Internet titans made late last year and marked the first time rival global messaging service providers arranged to co-mingle members.It also signaled a continued erosion of the walls dividing users of IM and mobile telephone text messaging services, according to lead an......
[more] AOL produces instant messaging for business AOL has launched a new instant messaging application for business users. AIM Pro integrates with Microsoft Outlook, encrypts and scans messages and links to conferencing services from WebEx Communications. Around 14 million people already use AIM as a daily business tool, AOL said, but there have been increasing security concerns about using a consumer tool for confidential business interactions. AIM Pro Professional Edition (PE) hopes to meet these c......
[more] Aladdin eSafe Increases Security Through New IM File Transfer Blocking Aladdin eSafe now offers enhanced AppliFilter technology that blocks potentially harmful file transfers while still allowing legitimate IM messaging. Aladdin Knowledge Systems, the leader in Software DRM, identity management, and content security solutions, today announced its Aladdin eSafe gateway-based content security solution now offers enhanced AppliFilter features that allow organizations to block file sharing in Instan......
[more] Akonix A-Series offers complex, best-of-breed IM security The Akonix A-Series IM security appliances give enterprises control of instant messaging, a runaway app that can leave a yawning network security hole, and peer-to-peer traffic, a serious bandwidth hog and malware vector plaguing corporate networks. The A6000 we tested (the A1000 is aimed at SMBs) is enterprise-class hardware, with multiple network interface cards for clustering and a redundant hard drive. The A-Series runs AkOS, a propr......
[more] SurfControl First to Detect Malicious Application on Fake Skype Web Site SurfControl, the global leader in Internet protection, is currently tracking a new spyware threat that comes to users via an email written in Turkish and claiming to be from Skype, the popular voice over Internet protocol application. The body of the email encourages users to download the Skype application by clicking on an enclosed link. Upon clicking the link, users are taken to a site that appears to be the Turkish vers......
[more] Employees Using Instant Messaging Put Companies at Risk According to a recent survey by Akonix Systems Inc., a provider of instant messaging (IM) security solutions, employees are unknowingly putting companies at risk for major security, legal and compliance issues by using instant messaging (IM) as a medium to share corporate information and communicate with external parties including customers and suppliers.The company said that nearly 60% of respondents to a July 2006 poll stated they use IM......
[more] Akonix: Most send business messages via IM According to new survey results released by Akonix Systems today, more than half of business people today are using instant messaging (IM) as a supplement to email communications. The messaging security company said that an informal poll of several hundred business people found that 60 percent of respondents use IM to communicate and share data with colleagues, partners and customers. According to Don Montgomery, vice president of marketing for the......
[more] Akonix A-Series Appliances Offer Native API Support for Jabber XCP 5.1 Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today announced that version 5.1 of L7 Enterprise on its A-Series IM Security Appliances is the first product to integrate with Jabber, Inc.'s Jabber Extensible Communications Platform (Jabber XCP) 5.1 at the application programming interface (API) level. The combination of Akonix L7 Enterprise and Akonix......
[more] Instant Messaging Attacks Jump 160 Percent in July Postini,a global leader in Integrated Message Management, announced last week that its Monthly Message Security & Management Update for July confirms a 160 percent increase over June in instant messaging (IM) attacks against corporate networks. In July, Postini detected and prevented new IM threats including Prokeylogger, which logs the keystrokes typed by the user, captures passwords and screenshots, and sends them to identity thieves.Post......
[more] IM News & Trends Watch This past week Google has updated its IM product, Google Talk with several new features. The file transfer feature, one of the most requested features by users, allows you to send unlimited files and folders through Google Talk. Google has placed no restriction on the file type or size. As you would expect the dismal feature allows you to leave a voicemail message when your Google Talk buddy isn't available. When users receive voicemail they are informed via an e-mail......
[more] IM boom brings security concerns By 2007, it will be considered strange if a company is not using some form of instant messaging (IM) technology. That's a far cry from a few years back, when IM was still somewhat mysterious and many enterprises did not allow its use for fear of plummeting productivity and information leaks. But as 2006 marks the year IM breaks into the workplace, network managers have new security concerns, such as worms, viruses and leaks of sensitive information. Many product......
[more] Samsung Web site hosts password stealing trojan Samsung's US Web site is hosting a Trojan horse that logs keystrokes, disables antivirus applications and steals online banking access codes, according to Internet security firm Websense. Visitors to the Web site are not affected by the malware and Websense believes Samsung's Web server has most likely been compromised in order to serve malware to users that receive spam messages or malicious IM messages.Joel Camissar, Australian country manag......
[more] Core Security: Multiple flaws in AOL messenger Users of AOL's ICQ instant messenger (IM) were warned this week of multiple vulnerabilities in their IM software. By exploiting these flaws, hackers could severely impact more than 160 million users of the service, according to Boston-based Core Security. Hackers could take direct control over an affected user's PC through flaws in AOL ICQ Pro 2003b heap overflow vulnerability and ICQ Toolbar 1.3 for Internet Explorer, according to a Core Security a......
[more] Worm burrows to heart of Windows Live The latest worm to infect instant-messaging networks is aptly named Heartworm. The worm, actually called W32.heartworm.a, affects users of Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger service (formerly MSN Messenger), presenting users with a link to a Web site that tells them a virtual greeting card is waiting for them, according to FaceTime Security Labs, a division of IM management and security company FaceTime Communications. That link brings unsuspecting users to......
[more] Akonix expands instant messaging compliance offering Akonix Systems Inc., a provider of instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products, has launched Akonix L7 Enterprise v5.3 to help companies meet industry and government compliance regulations.Akonix found that many companies are not aware that they are required to control who certain employees may communicate with, both internally and externally. Most companies must also log and archive all IM traffic and review messages sent and rec......
[more] Sophos offers free application killer Sophos has become the first security vendor to give a standard anti-virus client the ability to block a range of risky applications, including VoIP, instant messaging, and P2P programs. The new feature comes in the form of a free signature upgrade to the company's Anti-Virus 6.0 software, and can stop a named list of programs from running on any PC on which the software is installed. Notable on this list are Skype and Google Talk, IM clients such as AIM, MS......
[more] Akonix Records Highest Number of IM Attacks in 2006 Akonix Systems, the provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today announced its Security Center (www.imsecuritycenter.com) researchers tracked 64 attacks against IM networks during the month of September, the most IM threats recorded in 2006. IM networks have experienced a total of 237 attacks this year. New worms identified include Licat, Sohanat, Yautoit, AutoIt, IMNames and Xrobots......
[more] Increasing Security Needs of Enterprises to Fuel Growth in the World Content Filtering Market The content filtering landscape is witnessing several changes. Traditionally, the Web, e-mail and instant messaging (IM) filtering markets have evolved separately. The uptake of solutions, especially in the e-mail filtering market, has been successful. As a result, the content filtering market is maturing and existing vendors are expanding and diversifying their product and service portfolios.Although......
[more] Over two-thirds of employees use IM at work to talk to family and friends Office workers are exposing their employers to substantial risks, including legal action and regulatory breaches, by using instant messenger and web based email at work, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Chronicle Solutions, found that unmonitored technologies such as instant messenger (IM), MSN messenger and web based email are frequently accessed and used by staff from company computers, leaving busin......
[more] Enterprises beware: IM attacks break record, again The prevalence of instant messenger (IM) attacks has reached record numbers for the second consecutive month, an IM security firm announced this week. San Diego-based Akonix Systems said it monitored 88 types of IM attacks in October, one month after it tracked a previous record of 64 in September.The company identified a slew of new worms, including SOHANAD, Imaut, Pepa, Yaautoit and QUATIM. SOHANAD contained six variants and Imaut had fiv......
[more] AOL patches ICQ vulnerability TippingPoint researchers warned AOL ICQ users this week about a vulnerability that allows attackers to execute malicious code onto a vulnerable PC without user interaction. AOL fixed the instant messaging (IM) service flaw on Oct. 31, but users who haven't logged on to the ICQ network since then could still be at risk, TippingPoint warned this week. The update was immediately applied to ICQ version 5.1 users when they logged on to the network, according to a Tipping......
[more] Webwasher 6.0 Delivers Industry's Most Advanced, Proactive IT Security Web Gateway Security Solution Integrates TrustedSource Global Reputation System; Introduces Proactive Anti-Malware Protection Secure Computing Corporation, a leading enterprise gateway security company, today announced Webwasher 6.0, a new and enhanced version of its award-winning Web Security Gateway, protecting enterprises from inbound and outbound security threats. Webwasher 6.0 marks the initial integration of CipherTrus......
[more] Sophos protects Microsoft Windows Vista Integrated protection delivers security and control on Vista platform Sophos, a world leader in IT security, today announced a new version of Sophos Anti-Virus which fully supports the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. Sophos's proactive protection delivers businesses with a complete defense against viruses, spyware, adware and potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista, version 6.5 includes:Protection......
[more] Akonix: IM attacks dip in November The number of new instant messenger (IM) attacks tracked by Akonix Systems in November dipped to 41, one month after eclipsing a record. The San Diego-based IM security firm monitored 88 attacks in October, which broke the previous record of 64 a month before.The November attacks - worms identified as SOHANAD, Geezo, Mandei, NotYou, Tellsky and Popwin - brought this year's total to 369, or a little more than one new attack per day, the firm reported in a news r......
[more] Postini Announces Top Five 2007 Messaging Security Predictions Spam Still on Rapid Rise Representing Nearly 93 Percent of All Email; Companies Without Proper Protection Could Face Email Meltdown Postini, the global leader in on-demand communications security, compliance and productivity solutions for email, instant messaging and the web, today announced that the recent spam explosion, which Postini reported in November, continues to grow at unprecedented levels.Spam now represents nearly 93 perc......
[more] IT pros look for ways to lock down IM Because instant messaging (IM) is still a new frontier full of security risks, the organizations Brian Joyce and Jane Clifford work for have strict policies governing its use. IM is forbidden in the offices of Chattanooga, Tenn.-based accounting firm Joseph Decosimo and Co., a 250-employee firm where Joyce is IT director. At the 6,000-employee Health and Human Services System agency for the State of Nebraska (HHSS), where Clifford is customer services manag......
[more] Roundup 2006: Doing their homework For college students these days, instant messaging is as much a part of their daily routine as microwaving ramen noodles, playing Frisbee on the quad or studying on the futon "When a student comes to campus, it's the first thing they want hooked up," says Seth Shestack, acting CISO at Temple University, Philadelphia, the nation's 28th largest college with a student population of 35,000. "Our help desk will get calls faster for students who can't......
[more] IM threats jump 15 percent in 2006, says Akonix More than 400 attacks on instant messenger (IM) platforms were spotted last year, an increase of 15 percent from the year before, according to researchers at Akonix. The total, which marked an annual record, included 41 new attacks in December, according to the San Diego-based firm. Sohana was the most common IM worm seen during December, with five variants, according to Akonix, followed by Blowhen, which had two variants. In total, 406 IM attacks......
[more] Five predictions for instant messaging security in 2007 Organisations will face a number of factors in 2007 that will force them to address their instant messaging (IM) security and compliance practices, predicted messaging security firm Akonix last week. Akonix predicted five major drivers that will spur companies to quit ignoring IM management and security as the technology continues to spread in the workplace. According to a recent paper by the Radicati Group, IM use at work will grow at a 22......
[more] Weston College tightens security IT security threats including spyware, instant messaging attachments and removable media were becoming a concern Weston College has implemented new security systems to improve protection of over 800 users and control application use.The Web Security Suite from Websense offered the college flexibility and control over how the students and staff use the computing facilities without locking down everything and impeding the web as a learning resource.Mark Hill, head......
[more] Is Microsoft set to take over the VoIP space? Past experience shows that once Microsoft sets its sights on a technology, it often comes to dominate the market. Will Redmond nudge current VoIP vendors off the playing field? Deb Shinder takes a look at the software giant's plans for VoIP. When Microsoft gets into the game, other companies start to worry-and with good reason. Past experience shows that once the software giant sets its sights on a technology, it often comes to dominate the market,......
[more] MSN password stealer released as torrent Malware designed to steal users' Windows Live Messenger password has been released onto the net. The password stealer was released for download via BitTorrent earlier this week by a hacker using the handle "Our Godfather".The malware comes in the form of an IMB download confirmed by anti-virus firm Sophos as containing a password-stealing Trojan horse. Victims would need to be tricked into downloading and executing the malware, which might be r......
[more] Akonix Enhances Instant Messaging Security Gateway to Facilitate Corporate Risk Management Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today introduced Akonix L7 Enterprise v6.0, a risk management platform designed to enforce corporate compliance, security and prevent liability issues associated with IM communications. Employees have quickly learned to replace email with IM correspondence to get around corporate secur......
[more] MSN messenger serves up dodgy alerts Banner advertisements for a security application said to report false or inflated threats appeared for at least a few days on Microsoft's IM (instant-messaging) program, prompting warnings from security analysts. Microsoft appears to have removed the ads, which were displayed in the contacts panel for its IM program, Windows Live Messenger, said Sandi Hardmeier, a Microsoft Most Valued Professional, a designation the company gives to people who have expertis......
[more] Business fails to keep up with IM spyware threat Instant Messaging (IM) software in the workplace is running under the radar of IT and most security measures, a new study shows. It suggests many businesses are leaving themselves open to a flood of spyware by failing to manage their employees' use of IM. Many businesses are leaving themselves open to a flood of spyware by failing to manage their employees' use of instant messaging (IM).A survey of over 200 UK organisations in the private and pub......
[more] UK firms fall prey to spyware About three-quarters of British organisations fell victim to spyware last year. However, according to research conducted by Peapod, some 19 percent of firms were unable to identify the source of the attack. Managing Director Chris Durnan said: "As the survey shows, technology is not the only answer when viewed in isolation, it is also down to the user to play a key role in ensuring that spyware doesn't get a foothold in the infrastructure." The majority o......
[more] Mobile IM keeps users connected Mobile email was the killer app for a while. And though it's convenient -- some would say critical -- to keep up with messages on the go, it isn't real-time. Mobile instant messaging (IM), on the other hand, adds a level of real-time communication to and from mobile devices. Today, mobile management vendor Sybase iAnywhere released a mobile IM and presence component to its Information Anywhere suite, an enterprise-class tool that Sybase said brings mobile IM and......
[more] Akonix Warns Corporations of Risqué Employee IM Behavior Organisations potentially face thousands of lawsuits associated with hostile workplace and sexual harassment claims stemming from inappropriate instant messaging (IM) use, according to Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed IM security and compliance products in the world. The company's January 2007 online poll reveals that 31% of 388 respondents have been threatened or harassed by a co-worker over IM. In addition, IDC predic......
[more] MSN Messenger is the most targeted IM platform ScanSafe, in its latest monthly Global Threat Report, reported it blocked 24 new IM threats in February, 54 percent of which affected MSN Messenger compared to 21 percent that affected Yahoo! and 17 percent that affected AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Over the past 12 months, MSN Messenger has consistently ranked #1 as the most targeted IM platform. Fifty-three percent of all the IM-based threats blocked by ScanSafe in the past year have affected MSN......
[more] Trojan horse targets Skype users Miscreants have again adapted the Warezov Trojan horse to target Skype users, Websense Security Labs warned last week. The attack is similar to threats that target instant-messaging applications. A targeted Skype user will receive a chat message with the text "Check up this" and a link to a malicious executable called "file_01.exe" on a Web site, Websense said in an alert. If the user runs the file, several other files are downloaded and run,......
[more] Hackers build private IM to keep the law out Hackers have built their own encrypted IM (instant-message) program to shield themselves from law enforcement trying to spy on their communication channels. The application, called CarderIM, is a sophisticated tool hackers are using to sell information such as credit-card numbers or e-mail addresses, part of an underground economy dealing in financial data, said Andrew Moloney, business director for financial services for RSA, part of EMC Corp., duri......
[more] Instant messaging attacks up 200 percent in a year The growing adoption of instant messaging (IM) platforms in corporate environments has made the technology more attractive to hackers, who have, in turn, attacked IM 200 percent more often than this time last year. Researchers at Akonix's IM Security Center reported today that they've seen 31 new malicious code attacks on messaging platforms this month, including worms such as IMspam, QQpass and TrigXF. Of all IM-based malware, Maniccum and Hotm......
[more] New IM worm targets Skype users A new instant-messaging pest that spreads using the chat feature in Skype has surfaced, security firm F-Secure warned Monday. The worm, dubbed Pykse.A, is similar to threats that affect instant-messaging applications. A targeted Skype user will receive a chat message with text and a Web link that looks like it goes to a JPEG file on a Web site, F-Secure said on its Web site. Clicking the link will redirect the user to a malicious file. The file, after executing,......
[more] Akonix Tracks 38 Malicious Code Attacks over IM Networks in April Akonix Systems, a provider of instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products, announced that its IM Security Center researchers tracked 38 malicious code attacks over IM networks during the month of April, an increase of 23% from March.The company said that although IM threats are substantially higher than last year's overall, this is the first time in 2007 that the number of attacks increased when compared with the prev......
[more] Akonix Addresses Instant Messaging Security Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today introduced the Akonix A1000 IM Essentials Appliance, a simple-to-install and administer, all-in-one IM management solution designed specifically to address the risk management, archiving and compliance needs for IM use in small and medium-sized business (SMBs). The A1000 IM Essentials Appliance, priced at $6,995, includes 100......
[more] Attackers get chatty on VoIP The hacker attacks happening via Skype will become more severe and sophisticated as businesses start adopting VoIP technologies, analysts say The recent spate of malware attacks propagating throughout the user base of the Skype Internet calling system illustrates a broader trend toward cyber-criminals moving to take advantage of VoIP platforms as they become increasingly popular. Security researchers tracking the latest pack of worm viruses to wriggle their way thro......
[more] How IT departments are securing instant messaging Once considered a peripheral communication tool used primarily by only some workers, instant messaging (IM) is now feared by many as a security hazard. For many enterprises, the simple solution was to block IM and force employees to use existing email, phone and fax resources. But the evolution of communication channels is leaving that model in the dust. Business users make it clear that IM security can no longer mean simply "turning......
[more] Gartner: Businesses must address IM security Businesses must address the security issues around instant messaging (IM) as it becomes the preferred method of real-time communication, Gartner said today. The IT analysts predict that by the end of 2011, IM will be the "de facto" tool for voice, video and text chat with 95 per cent of workers using it as their preferred method for real-time communications by 2013. IM systems are increasingly becoming an integral part of a company's collabo......
[more] Akonix: 80% Increase in Harmful IM Activity Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today announced its IM Security Center researchers tracked 36 malicious code attacks over IM networks during the month of June, an 80% increase over May. This brings the total number of threats for the first half of 2007 to 206, which is 79% more than the same time period last year. New IM worms identified include Checkout, Impard,......
[more] Akonix: 80% Increase in Harmful IM Activity Akonix Systems, Inc., provider of the most deployed instant messaging (IM) security and compliance products in the world, today announced its IM Security Center researchers tracked 36 malicious code attacks over IM networks during the month of June, an 80% increase over May. This brings the total number of threats for the first half of 2007 to 206, which is 79% more than the same time period last year. New IM worms identified include Checkout, Impard,......
[more] Critical IM bugs hit Yahoo and Trillian Yahoo Messenger and Trillian instant messaging clients are both subject to critical security vulnerabilities, researchers say. The Yahoo Messenger bug, which was posted to the Full Disclosure mailing list by Rajesh Sethumadhavan, is a buffer overflow flaw that can be exploited with a specially crafted address book entry. Messenger immediately crashes when it encounters the malformed entry, Sethumadhavan said, but it may also be susceptible to code executi......
[more] IM attacks up nearly 80 percent, Akonix says - and P2P is worse Loose lips sink ships, and flying fingers scuttle computers Malicious code attacks over instant messaging networks are up almost 80 percent over last year, according to a new study from vendor Akonix. In July, the company, which develops IM hygiene and compliance appliances and services, said it uncovered 20 malicious code attacks over IM in July. The total number of threats for 2007 so far is 226, the company said. That number is a......
[more] Yahoo patches Messenger video bug It's the second update this summer to fix webcam vulnerabilities Yahoo Inc. today updated its Messenger instant messaging software to flush a bug that hackers could exploit by sending video chat invitations to unwary users. The vulnerability, which surfaced last week in a posting to a Chinese security forum, could be exploited by duping a user into accepting a malicious webcam invitation, McAfee Inc. confirmed Aug. 15. In its advisory, Yahoo said that it had act......
[more] MSN Messenger video-based exploit revealed Security experts are advising users of MSN Messenger to be wary of untrusted web cam conversations after exploit code was posted today for a zero-day vulnerability in the instant messaging (IM) application. The bug, rated "highly critical" by tracking firm Secunia, can be exploited when a victim accepts a malicious video from an attacker, prompting a heap-based buffer overflow. Results may range from a system crash to arbitrary code......
[more] Instant messaging attacks double in August Instant-messaging threats are on the up, with security firm Akonix claiming there have been 38 malicious-code attacks on IM networks so far this month, twice the number experienced in July. Akonix said IM worms with such bizarre names as Delf, Mimbot, MSNHorm and MSNPoopy have emerged this month, proving that IM networks are becoming a popular vehicle for hackers to attempt to break into corporate networks. Instant-messaging threats work much like emai......
[more] Skype warns users of IM worm Skype users are under attack from a new worm that spreads through the VoIP company's chat feature. The attack begins when a user receives an instant message containing a link from someone in their contact list or an unknown Skype user, said Skype spokesman Villu Arak. There are several versions of the chat messages, which are "cleverly written" to fool users, Arak wrote on the Skype Heartbeat blog. The link appears to contain a JPEG photo file, but if clic......
[more] Microsoft forces Messenger upgrade for 'security' reasons Users of Windows Live and MSN Messenger are being forced to upgrade to the latest versions due to a security patch in the new releases Microsoft is forcing Windows Live and MSN Messenger users to upgrade to the newest version due to a security update included in that release, according to a posting on a Microsoft blog. Anyone using 6.2, 7.0 and 7.5 versions of MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger 8.0 will be guided through the upgrade......
[more] AIM worm attack feared AOL Instant Messenger is vulnerable to worm attack due to the way it works with Internet Explorer 7, according to security researchers. The critical flaw is in the way that the AIM displays web-based graphics, according to researchers at Core Security Technologies, which discovered the flaw. Core has been working with AOL over the past few weeks to patch the problem. AOL's servers are now filtering instant messaging traffic to intercept any attacks, but the company has ye......
[more] Instant Messenger 'can benefit business if securely governed' The rising use of Instant Messenger technology, from Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger to companies' own chat software, can be of benefit to businesses if security is properly understood and governed, delegates at an IDC security event were told this week. David Stanley, VP of business development at Presence Networks, said the risks associated with IM were clear, with a survey of end-users conducted by the security supplier......
[more] Keep your IM-using employees on a need-to-know basis As long as people have competed against others, whether commercially, militarily or athletically, their organizations have possessed information or practices that need to be kept secret. Naturally, competitors have always wanted to learn those secrets, and history is filled with stories of spies, patents, secret codes and inadvertent disclosure of confidential information. Everyone knows that Coca-Cola guards the secret formula for their elix......
[more] E-mail boosts productivity; IM poses threats, survey says When it comes to communicating during the workday, a majority of enterprise users find e-mail and phone calls conducive to productivity, while unified communications technologies such as instant messaging, blogs and softphones distract them from the work at hand and pose a threat to enterprise security. IT consulting firm Dimension Data Holdings PLC surveyed some 524 IT managers and enterprise end users to learn which means of communicat......
[more] Akonix: 22 IM Attacks This Month Company predicts upcoming spike in malicious activity as companies prepare unified communications rollouts Akonix Systems, Inc., a provider of policy and risk management products for real-time communications, today announced its IM Security Center researchers tracked 22 malicious code attacks over instant messaging (IM) networks and a 50% increase in threats on P2P networks during the month of October. Although the number of monthly IM threats decreased from Sept......
[more] Rogue nodes snoop on TOR traffic Researchers have uncovered more evidence that the TOR anonymiser network is being misused by hackers, and quite likely government intelligence agencies. TOR (The Onion Router) is a network of proxy nodes set up to provide some privacy and anonymity to its users. Originally backed by the US Naval Research Laboratory, TOR became an Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) project three years ago. The system provides a way for whistleblowers and human rights workers to......
[more] Fantasy football, IM throwing productivity for a loss Not only does football consume much of America's weekend this time of year, but new survey data also reveals that fans let their Fantasy Football obsession eat up time at work via instant-messaging chats. Close to half of about 260 online poll respondents admitted they use IM programs to discuss Fantasy Football at work. The survey, conducted by policy and risk management vendor Akonix Systems and released Monday, showed that 47% of responde......
[more] Heavily armed cops raid IM chat A California family that found their apartment surrounded by more than a dozen heavily SWAT armed officers are among the latest victims of swatting, a crime designed to elicit an emergency response by reporting a bogus 911 call. Officers from the Salinas Police Department rushed to the apartment last Wednesday after receiving a report from someone claiming to be a 15-year-old boy saying three men wielding AK-47 assault weapons were trying to break into his apartm......
[more] 'Diehard' virus variants flexing muscle New Windows-based "downloader" malware known as Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Diehard has surged to the top of Kaspersky Lab's "Virus Top Twenty" list for December because of its "explosive propagation," the security firm said Wednesday. A downloader is a type of malware, which loaded onto a victim's machine, can enable the attacker to download many other types of malicious code to exploit and control it for activities ranging from spam to information theft. Th......
[more] IM attacks get nastier Attacks on instant messaging systems continued to grow more sophisticated and dangerous in January, according to Akonix, a vendor of messaging security systems. The company tracked 14 new attacks on IM systems in January, finding that while the number was relatively low, the attacks are getting better at targeting users. IM attacks are a relatively recent phenomenon, but have grown drastically in number in recent months. In July Akonix said the number of threats over the......
[more] IM malware spikes in April Instant messaging attacks leapt 162 percent in April according to security firm Akonix. The company tracked 21 new malicious code attacks over the month. The jump accompanies a boom in take-up of enterprise unified communications systems (UC) over the past few months, a fact that is unlikely to be a mere coincidence, Akonix said. UC systems are designed to bring together all a company's communications systems onto a common internet protocol (IP) infrastructure, and of......
[more] Trillian IM client at risk from attacks Security researchers today warned users of the popular Trillian instant messaging client that the software harbors three critical vulnerabilities that could be used to hijack their Windows PCs. Trillian's developer, Cerulean Studios, has updated the IM client to Version 3.0.10.0 to patch the bugs. The vulnerabilities were reported by 3Com's TippingPoint, which posted advisories for each. Danish bug tracking firm Secunia Inc., meanwhile, collectively ranke......
[more] Akonix Tracks 10 New IM Attacks in May Akonix Systems Inc., a provider of unified policy management products for instant messaging (IM) and unified communications, announced that its IM Security Center researchers tracked 10 new malicious code attacks over IM networks in May, bringing the 2008 total to 73. New IM worms identified in May include Flocker, Foto-nue and Mondez. LdPinch was the most common with two variants. In addition, attacks on P2P networks, such as Kazaa and eDonkey, increased......
[more] Yahoo Fixes Critical Mail Flaw Yahoo fixed a critical vulnerability in its Messenger desktop and Mail applications that could allow hackers to steal identities to gain access to users' private information. In a worst case scenario, the flaw enabled hackers to hijack users' sessions and infiltrate their private accounts, as well as overtake operations in Yahoo Mail, if it was exploited. The cross site scripting vulnerability, which occurs between the interaction of the Yahoo Messenger desktop a......
[more] IM security fears persist Over seventy per cent of UK firms are banning the use of public instant messaging clients in the workplace, despite three-quarters saying they understand the business benefits of the technology. According to new research released today. The survey by enterprise IM vendor ProcessOne found that over half of corporate IT managers had concerns over sensitive information leaving the organisation through this channel. Yet only 12 per cent said they had visibility into this b......
[more] How to Approach Access Control in the Social Networking Age “Here comes trouble,” say John Yun and Jay Kelley from Juniper Networks. Trouble in this case means social networking. Like instant messaging and e-mail before it, social networking can cause worries to companies that haven’t learned to adapt - and real trouble to companies that haven’t learned how to manage it. Enterprises are beginning to adopt social networking applications. They’re doing it for the sam......
[more] Is it possible to ban chat programs on an enterprise LAN? Q: How do I ban MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Skype and other chat programs on an enterprise LAN? My network connects to the Internet through a hub, and from the hub it connects a wireless router/modem to the Internet. I've tried blocking URLs and outgoing ports, but to no avail. I can't install any blocking software because I don't have a server in between the router and the network PCs. A: As you have discovered already, imposing con......
[more] Akonix: Steady Uptick in IM/P2P Attacks Akonix Systems, Inc., the leading provider of unified policy management products for instant messaging (IM) and unified communications, today announced its IM Security Center researchers found steady growth in IM and P2P threats through the first seven months of 2008. With 40 unique threats in July on the heels of the year's peak month of 51 threats in June, the current trendline shows a projected growth of 107% for the year. New IM worms identified this......
[more] Secure Web gateway for effective data loss prevention in an SSL world Businesses are increasingly moving to SSL-encrypted traffic on their network for greater security and data protection. In fact, in 2007, Enterprise Strategy Group estimated that SSL-encrypted application deployments had increased by 50 to 55 percent. However, more SSL traffic on the network inhibits the effectiveness of a data loss prevention solution. In response to this new application profile that favors SSL traffic, organ......
[more] Don't trust your colleagues? Get on Facebook, IM Social media apps such as Facebook, IM and their ilk can have a positive impact on office life and help workers get on better with their colleagues, according to new research. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of UK office workers do not work in the same physical place as most of their immediate colleagues - and many of those with access to social media technologies claim to use them to maintain strong relationships with colleagues and even clients......
[more] Phishers launch multi-platform IM attack Users of internet chat services such as Google Chat have been hit by a major phishing attack aimed at stealing account log-in details, security researchers have warned. The unsolicited instant messages urge users to click on a TinyURL link to watch a video, but the link takes them to a site called ViddyHo which asks them to fill in user names and passwords. The phishers can then use these details to hack into user accounts and send more malicious links.......
[more] Cloudy outlook sees Microsoft take Exchange, SharePoint online Microsoft has unveiled its latest assault on the cloud computing market with the launch of its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). The arrival of BPOS will see Microsoft's enterprise apps - including Exchange Online email, SharePoint Online collaboration software, presence and IM product Office Live Meetings and, from later this year, Office Communications Online videoconferencing - sold as a single hosted software package. A......
[more] Chinese crackers create counterfeit iTunes racket Chinese crackers have reportedly cracked the iTunes gift card system. The hack has spawned an active trade in counterfeit but functional iTunes vouchers on Chinese auction sites, such as Taobao.com. As the trade has grown over the last six months or so prices have fallen from around $47 for a $200 card to 18RMB ($2.60). Music industry consultancy Outdustry confirmed that the counterfeit coupons work by buying a voucher and transferring the illeg......
[more] Cheat Sheet: Unified communications "Unified comms - I've heard of it but frankly I don't know what it actually means." You're not alone. Apart from the fact it sounds unapologetically dull, unified communications (or UC for short) is an amorphous and rather abstract concept. This is not a neat, one-size-fits-all technology - UC deployments vary from company to company, depending on each particular business' needs. That's reassuringly vague. So where do you begin with UC?Let's start by taking a......
[more] Regaining app-centric visibility, control Enterprises need a better way to control software-as-a-service, cloud computing, Web 2.0 and other applications that are hosted outside the enterprise because the traditional port-based approach has ceased to be effective. Moving beyond port-based traffic classification isn't easy, but because the "threat industry" now has application-level exploits and applications are at the heart of many data leaks, enterprises must rise to the challenge.......
[more] Ensuring Continuous Service in the Microsoft OCS 2007 Environment People use a variety of tools to communicate, from traditional landline, VoIP or mobile phones, to e-mail, instant messaging, audio/video conferencing, presence and new social networking sites. With each tool, end-user expectations regarding Quality of Service are high, as users expect ‘always up’ communications and consistent reliability. For example, when picking up the telephone, we expect to hear the dial tone wit......
[more] Trojan zaps banking credentials via IM No longer the province of teens and chat-obsessed netizens, instant messaging is being adopted by a growing number of banking malware applications, which zap pilfered credentials to thieves in real time. The latest entrant is Zeus, a trojan that monitors an infected PC for passwords entered into banking websites and other financial services. Over the past three months, investigators from RSA FraudAction Research Lab have observed the program, which also goe......
[more] MS warns of forced Messenger update Microsoft has outlined plans to push a mandatory Windows Live Messenger upgrade in order to plug a security hole related to a vulnerable code library. The security vulnerability stems from the use of a vulnerable version of Microsoft's Active Template Library (ATL). A programming error involving the inclusion of an extra "&" character meant that any software packages that made use of the ATL library template inherited a critical software flaw. Software develo......
[more] Scammers pose as banks in live chat hack Online scammers have created a phishing site masquerading as a US-based bank that launches a live chat window where victims are tricked into revealing more information, researchers at the RSA FraudAction Research Team said on Wednesday. After a user accesses the phishing site, the chat window messages come through the browser and not via a typical instant messenger application, RSA said in a blog post.
The chat window is displayed if the log-in credentia......
[more] Microsoft ramps up unified communications push Microsoft is making a concerted push into unified communications with the launch of two additions to Office Communications Server (OCS). The OCS 2007 XMPP Gateway will allow users to add basic presence sharing, and support for the Cisco Jabber and Google Talk instant messaging platforms. A change to the public instant messaging (IM) connectivity licence requirements for OCS to Windows Live and AOL instant messenger networks, meanwhile, will allow u......
[more] Email, IM and social networks to be integrated by 2013 Business users will communicate with a unified toolset that integrates instant messaging (IM), social networks, conferencing and email within the next four years, according to Gartner. This integration will allow organisations to simplify an increasingly broad range of communications and collaboration options, and improve customer interaction, the analyst firm said.
"Business end users typically treat the unified communication and collabora......
[more] Monitoring staff email and internet: The dos and don'ts Every office generates so much email, IM and internet traffic it's all but impossible for management to keep track of exactly what's being said, seen and done online. But how can execs be confident that all these digital conversations are necessary and not just time-wasting? Or worse: the cover for data leaks, inappropriate content-sharing or other nefarious or even criminal activities. Why monitor staff email?
Some of the reasons an organ......
[more] Security firms warn of iPad scams Interest in Apple's new iPad tablet will likely touch off a wave of new online scams in the coming weeks, according security experts. The attacks, which have already begun to appear, include search-engine poisoning attacks designed to direct users to attack pages. According to security firm WebSense, such attacks began to appear within hours of the iPad's unveiling. The company noted that specially-crafted sites were being loaded with keywords in order to appea......
[more] Great firewall of News Limited saves $5.5M a year Blocking people from accessing unproductive Web sites has saved News Limited an estimated $5.5 million a year the company's top security professional estimates. Just as the federal government hatches its plans to implement the great firewall of Australia in the form of Internet filtering, News Limited has seen success by blocking employees from accessing public Web services it deems unproductive. News Limited's national IT security manager Bob H......
[more] Social networking raises legal, regulatory issues for businesses Popular social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are causing a stir in the financial services community as well as other highly regulated industries as companies seek ways to control how the sites are used to communicate with potential clients and colleagues. Social networking sites have proved valuable for sales-lead generation, marketing and general broker-client relations, but regulators have been quick......
[more] Chatty Skype worm tries to fox antivirus programs A new instant messaging (IM) worm has been spotted using a number of evolved techniques to beat installed security programs and catch even suspicious users off-guard. According to BitDefender, Backdoor.Tofsee's cleverness starts with its choosiness - it infects only PCs running Skype and Yahoo Messenger, leaving other users uninfected.If a user running one of these applications is chanced upon, it then checks to see whether the target system is......
[more] Britons spend more than 'one day a month online' British web users are spending 65% more time online than three years ago, according to a survey of net habits. The average surfer spends 22 hours and 15 minutes on the net each month, according to the UK Online Measurement company (UKOM). The lion's share of that time is spent on social networks or blogs, which accounts for nearly a quarter of users' time online.Instant messaging (IM) has been one of the victims of social network growth.Three yea......
[more] Q and A: MIME guru Nathaniel Borenstein on why email isn't dead (or even dying) Almost 20 years ago Nathaniel Borenstein, then working for Bellcore, proposed to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) the notion that a new protocol be used to swap multimedia data, rather than just ASCII text, over email. Today, that protocol, MIME, is a bog-standard aspect of the way we communicate and is used across email messages, web pages and operating systems. Now chief scientist at (appropriately enough......
[more] Softer data-leak prevention Data-leak prevention is growing at 10% a year, a bit slower than anticipated but still pretty fast compared to other security technologies. In this year's research we see DLP use or active evaluation among 36% of research participants. The primary driver is compliance, as with most security funding. In looking at DLP deployment over time we noticed something very interesting: quite a few companies that deployed DLP last year pulled back on their deployments because o......
[more] Advanced instant messenger threat discovered Warnings have been made about worms that are spreading via instant messaging (IM) clients. Kaspersky Lab said that the new family of worms are multilingual and capable of infecting users via several IM clients simultaneously, including Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, Paltalk Messenger, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk and the XFire client for gamers. Kaspersky said that four variants of IM-Worm.Win32.Zeroll have been detected so far. Kaspersky Lab sa......
[more] Criminals 'go cloud' with attacks-as-a-service Just like legitimate businesses, criminals are turning to the cloud as a way to generate new services and simplify their infrastructure. While some sites offer botnets for lease or sale, and other sites offer aid with cheating on games, the latest crop of criminal enterprises is serving up attacks as a service. In the latest example of this, a Chinese group has opened up a site, called IM DDODS, that allows customers to sign in and order denial-of-s......
[more] Golden rules for secure instant messaging As time progresses, cybercriminals are refining their techniques to lure potential victims to visit malicious hyperlinks. Instant messaging is a very effective way for malware to stay active and thrive. Last week, an unnamed computer worm forced Microsoft to temporarily suspend active links in its Live Messenger 2009 to prevent the aggressive instant messaging (IM) worm spreading. Mak James, technical manager at ESET UK comments, "This is quite a s......
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