Fast Forwarding your Business with Instant Messagi

Fast Forwarding your Business with Instant Messaging

by: Lee Traupel

Instant Messaging is rapidly becoming accepted in the business community as a viable communications tool and process itกs faster than email, free on the client side, even a novice user can easily grasp the interface in just a few minutes and it enables remote workers and business partners to ‘talkก and share files and information effortlessly using the inplace infrastructure of the internet. Its mushrooming in popularity too according to IDC, corporate and general business users will jump from 5.5M in 2001 to close to 200M by 2004.

What are some of the pitfalls and concerns you need to have when assessing and integrating Instant Messaging (กIMก another biz acronym) with your business processes? Be aware you are sending clear text messages over the public Internet so all IM technology is inherently insecure. Privacy issues can also be raised these messages are typically archived via the IM servers of the company whose services you are using and can be made public at a later date. Anyone with a network scanner may have access to and be reading your messages and if your are downloading files, you need to ensure your antivirus software is setup to scan these files when you open them.

One of the biggest pitfalls of the technology and process is that it adds another communications layer to your busy day but you can offset this by selecting or filtering who you communicate with at any point by using the IM interface to block all or selected individuals from กseeingก you when you are online.

Finally, like all things in todayกs computer industry (or many) each of the Instant Messaging vendors are trying to build applications which don’t integrate with the other (no surprise here arrogance has not faded away in the business community!). So, you need to assess the installed base of the market leaders and make a decision on which companyกs product you want to utilized my recommendation would be to review Microsoftกs or AOL/Time Warnerกs products their installed bases are in the 200 million users plus when combined (these numbers include consumer and business usage) and they both work well and have user interfaces that are intuitive.

There is one alternative company that is solving the กIM Tower of Babelก issues and claims to integrate well with all proprietary apps by utilizing XML technology, Jabber, Inc., www.jabber.com So, if interoptability is important to you then I would recommend assessing their products.

Most of the IM providers including Microsoft are integrating voice communications with their IM clients you may be able to bypass your local telephone carrier at some point using this technology, but don’t bet on it anytime soon all of those lobbyists here in the states need to keep generating fees on behalf of their telecom clients in Washington D.C. We use Microsoftกs IM product and we have upon occasion utilized the voice and video features (you must of course have a multimedia setup for your PC and camera) and they do work. Although the video quality is a little jerky and the voice is akin to the old Citizens Band (กCBก) radio your Internet connection impacts the quality of both.

Whose technology do you choose? There are some clear market leaders in the Instant Messaging marketing including Microsoft (no surprise here)http://messenger.microsoft.com But, like most Microsoft technology/tools you pay a price for the software/services, albeit a small one. You have to register with Microsoftกs NET Passport www.microsoft.com/myservices/passport service which is designed to be a universal login this only takes a few minutes but be forewarned they also try to get you to setup a Hot Mail account, but you can work around this.

The other dominant IM product is AOLกs ICQ product http://web.icq.com it has similar functionality as Microsoftกs application. The original technology was developed by a great Israeli company, Mirabellis, Inc., subsequently acquired by AOL. My chief complaint with this product is the irritating banner ads that AOL keeps pushing at you when you are utilizing their product. But, itกs a small price to pay for a free product on the client side.

Yahoo also has an IM product (กYahoo Messengerก) but I am not convinced this will stay as a core part of their business, as they appear to be still trying to figure out what they are going to become in the post ก.com gold rush eraก market; i.e. Portal, Directory, Media giant, software/services company, etc. And, theyกve certainly jettisoned parts of their business the last 1218 months and I would wager theyกve had discussions about getting out of the IM business.

Finally, IM is also quickly moving into other markets and devices including PDAs and Pagers if you’re a real geek and you can’t stand to be out of touch while your in the shower and you have a water proof device you can ping away. But, I think we all need some down time for friends and family, but wanted to make sure I covered all possible bases with this column until next time!

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, a resultsdriven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. [email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 25, 2002

by Lee Traupel

Instant Messaging – Expressway for Identity Theft,

Instant Messaging – Expressway for Identity Theft, Trojan Horses, Viruses, and Worms

by: Dee Scrip

Never before with Instant Messaging (IM) has a more vital warning been needed for current and potential IM buddies who chat on line.

John Sakoda of IMlogic CTO and Vice President of Products stated that,

กIM viruses and worms are growing exponentially….Virus writers are now shifting the focus of their attack to instant messaging, which is seen as a largely unprotected channel into the enterprise.ก

Because Instant Messaging operates on peertopeer (P2P) networks, it spawns an irresistible temptation for malicious computer hackers. P2P networks share files and operate on industry standard codec (encyrption codes) and industry standard protocols, which are publicly open and interpretable. Anti virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant Messaging services.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, these hacker mercenaries view Instant Messaging clients as their personal ขCash Cowข because of the ease by which they can access your computer via the publicly open and interpretable standards, unleash a Trojan horse, virus, or worm, as well as gather your personal and confidential information, and sell it to other depraved reprobates.

Please, don’t be naïve enough to think it won’t or couldn’t happen to you!

Want to see how easy it is for hackers to access your Instant Messaging chat and what can happen to you as a result?

Did you know that some hackerfriendly providers offer processor chips that can be bought on the Internet? (I guess it would be pretty hard to walk into a store and ask the clerk to help them find a processor chip that could be used to illegally hack into a victim’s computer for the sole purpose of spreading malicious code or stealing someone’s identity!)

Did you know that hackerfriendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their Trojan horses, viruses, and worms?

Hacker manuals are also conveniently accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the ขcommand promptข on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

ขSniffข is a tool (originally intended to help telecommunication professionals detect and solve problems) that reprobate hackers use to tamper with the protocol and ขsniff outข data. When hackers sniff out your IM data packet from Internet traffic, they reconstruct it to intercept conversations. This enables them to eavesdrop on conversations, gather information, and sell it to other depraved criminal entities.

Don’t set yourself up to be the next Identity Theft Victim because you like to chat using Instant Messaging.

Identity theft is one of the most sinister of vulnerabilities you can inadvertently be subjected to. Identity theft is defined by the Department of Justice as

ข…the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.ข

Identity theft is the byproduct of hacker mercenaries obtaining your social security number (including those of your spouse and children), your bank account, your credit card information, etc., from the Internet. You become a virtual ขCash Cowข for hackers as your information is then sold to other felons for financial gain. Using your information, these criminals then:

access your bank account funds

create new bank accounts with your information

create driver’s licenses

create passports

Attorney General Ashcroft stated that,

กIdentity theft carries a heavy price, both in the damage to individuals whose identities are stolen and the enormous cost to Americaกs businesses.ข

A group hosting a website known as shadowcrew.com was indicted on conspiracy charges for stealing credit card numbers and identity documents, then selling them online. While this group allegedly trafficked $1.7 million in stolen credit card numbers, they also caused losses in excess of $4 million.

According to a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice on February 28, a hacker was convicted of several counts of fraud, one in which

ข…he fraudulently possessed more than 15 computer usernames and passwords belonging to other persons for the purpose of accessing their bank and financial services accounts, opening online bank accounts in the names of those persons, and transferring funds to unauthorized accounts.ข

Trojan Horses, Viruses, and Worms – The Toxic Trio

According to Dictionary.com, a Trojan horse is ข…a subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotagean enemy in your midst.ข The toxic cargo of Trojan horses can include viruses or worms.

A Trojan horse is a program that Internet criminals use to interrupt and interfere with your security software and produce the following results

Terminates processes

Removes registry entries

Stops services

Deletes files

Hackers, who have gained access to your computer, because of the easily accessible programs and software as mentioned above, are enthusiastically incorporating this venomous little program into their arsenal of weapons.

As recently as March 4, a new Trojan horse was discovered that modified settings in Internet Explorer. Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP were the reported systems that could be affected.

On January 28, a press Release issued by the Department of Justice reported that a 19 year old was convicted for his criminal activity by ข…creating and unleashing a variant of the MS Blaster computer worm.ข Christopher Wray, Attorney General – Criminal Division stated that,

‘this … malicious attack on the information superhighway caused an economic and technological disruption that was felt around the world.ข

By the way, ขmaliciousข is defined by Webster as ข…intentionally mischievous or harmfulข.

On February 11, in a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice, reported that another criminal was sentenced for circulating a worm. This worm,

ข…directed the infected computers to launch a distributed denial of service (DOS) attack against Microsoftกs main web site causing the site to shutdown and thus became inaccessible to the public for approximately four hours.ข

March 7, Symantec.com posted discovery of a worm named ขW32.Serflog.Bข that spread through filesharing networks and MSN Messenger – networks that operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standards administered by P2P systems that host Instant Messaging clients—none of which are protected, regardless of the anti virus software on your computer. The W32.Serflog.B worm also lowers security settings and appears as a blank message window on the MSN Messenger.

SOLUTION

Avoid at all costs, P2P file sharing networks as they operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standards. (Instant Messaging services run on P2P file sharing networks.)

If you like the convenience of text chatting via Instant Messaging, then why not consider an optimally secure VoIP (voice over internet protocol), also known as a Computer Phone, that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature. Make sure the VoIP internet service provider does not operate on P2P file sharing networks that use industry standard codec or industry standard protocols that are publicly open and accessible. (Don’t forget, these standards create the vulnerability which hackers are capitalizing on because of their easy accessibility.)

Optimally secure VoIP service providers that incorporate a secure Instant Messaging feature, operate from their own proprietary high end encryption codec on patented technology which is hosted in a professional facility. Simply put, when a VoIP internet service provider is optimally secure, the Instant Messaging feature on the VoIP softphone is also incorporated in their optimally secure technology.

Here’s the bottom line.

If you are currently using Instant Messaging of any sort, you need to make a decision:

Continue enticing hacker mercenaries and remain as a user of an Instant Messaging service, or

Take immediate corrective action.

If you decide to take immediate corrective action:

Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature in their proprietary patented technology.

Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary high end encryption codec.

Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary patented technology.

Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that hosts their proprietary patented technology in a professional facility.

Here’s a place you can look over to see what an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider looks likeone that operates on their own proprietary high end encryption codec with their own proprietary patented technology hosted in a professional facility, AND one that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature.

http://www.freepcphone.com

By Dee Scrip © All rights reserved

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.

About The Author

Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published author of numerous articles on VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues. Other articles can be found at http://www.freepcphone.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 20

by Dee Scrip

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

by: Dee Scrip

Many vendors offering Instant Messaging (IM) services have added new capabilities such as voice messaging and file sharing. Among others, AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo offer these IM services.

Clients of Instant Messaging services are also easy prey for the community of hackers. Using a simple monitoring program, the plain text from Instant Messaging can be easily captured and creates vulnerability to electronic eavesdropping.

In one version of AOL’s Instant Messenger, aka AIM, a user was found to have been the target of a hacker attack. The villainous hacker had crafted a URL which, when clicked by the user with AIM on their desktop, allowed the hacker to execute a virus on the victim’s system. What is particularly sinister about this is that AIM does not have to be running for this type of virus to deployed.

Another avenue of attack is when victims are simply sent an HTML email with a link that when clicked will execute one or all of the following: a privilege elevation attack, a denial of service attack, or the installation of a backdoor for later use, to name a few.

Using a computer phone service that operates on secure lines with high end encryption codec on proprietary patented technology that features IM capability will optimally protect you against these vicious hacker attacks.

The above information is an excerpt taken from an indepth and exclusive Report entitled ขWhy Hackers Love Computer Phones – A Shocking Report You Must Read!ข by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART01

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.

By Dee Scrip

© All rights reserved.

About The Author

Dee Scrip

The above information is an excerpt taken from an indepth and exclusive Report entitled ขWhy Hackers Love Computer Phones – A Shocking Report You Must Read!ข by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART01

This article was posted on February 05

by Dee Scrip