Lower Your Company’s Chances of Instant Messenger Security Breaches
Today, many companies value instant messenger as a useful business tool; it is a great means for quick response communication, both internally and externally. Instant messenger’s high availability – stretching from desktops to cell phones – allows people to stay in touch from just about anywhere. Like all forms of internet communication, instant messaging has its risks. Instant messenger programs have a tendency to be unsecured and unmonitored, potentially leaving your messages unknowingly accessible to the wrong people.
Meet the common instant messenger security threats: Worms, Spim, and Trojan horses
Worms – IM can spread worms just as email can. Worms quickly infiltrate you network and begin sending copies of it to other networks. They are tricky; worms can do all of this without any user intervention. Worms consume bandwidth and corrupt files – two of the many reasons to never accept instant messages from people you do not know.
Spim – Spim is to IM as Spam is to email. Spimmers disguise themselves are regular IM users and make it their business to breach the security of IM tools. Beware, spimmers can be more of a nuisance to you, as they often open channels to various types of security breaches.
Trojan Horses – Trojan Horses allow an outsider to have full file access to a computer. Many hackers use classic “Backdoor Trojans” to access computer information (IP addresses, open ports, etc.) Don’t click on hyperlinks unless you are certain about where they are going to take you – seemingly harmless links such as “click here and take my survey” often end up taking a hacker right into your network!
What is a conscious small business to do?
Create clear corporate policies for your employees
Your workers can’t chat safely if they don’t really know how to, so make sure this is not the case. Set ground rules in place to minimize the chances of issues surfacing, such as: never store IM passwords on computer, don’t accept IMs from unknown sources, and always being cautious when transferring files, for example.
Secure Instant Message Logs
Most IM programs these days automatically store IM conversations. Of course, it is safest to not store them to begin with, but storing them may be unavoidable for many companies due to business reasons. If this is the case, make sure you are protecting your logs from hackers as best as possible. Always store them behind a company firewall.
Store messages in code
If you must store messages, encrypting them is a must. If by some chance a hacker does get in, at least you have made their getting their hands on what they hope to find much more difficult. You will create a time consuming, and hopefully impossible feat for the criminal.
Consider having a private Instant Messaging server
While following the rest of this advice may keep your data and conversations safe, you may want to consider encrypting messages and using your own IM server for heightened security.
No one wants their private corporate information, plans, or even everyday conversation to be shared with outsiders. Make sure your company is taking the proper measures to best assure this does not happen. For more information on this subject, please contact the folks at Everon Technology Services, LLC.
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Tags: instant messanger, instant messenger, secure instant messaging, security, security breaches, small business, small business technology, Small Business Technology Strategies
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