Online! The Book

The Risks of Consumer IM Systems

The convenience of IM carries risks. Traditional IM systems lack the security features needed to protect a company's assets. Message sessions on consumer platforms are susceptible to electronic eavesdropping, and hackers have the capability not only to get into a user's computer but also into the enterprise network and the intellectual property that resides there. Many consumer IM systems offer direct, peer-to-peer file-sharing capabilities. These lack security and leave corporations more vulnerable to hackers. Viruses have the ability to spread quickly throughout insecure IM systems—paralyzing a corporate network in no time. Many companies that offer free IM services, such as AOL, MSN, and Yahoo!, have been infected ...