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Instant messaging is a mixed blessing for businesses, on the one hand aiding fast and efficient communication between teams, employees, and customers, while on the other gouging open network security holes and costing hours of lost productivity from personal chatting. Instant messaging vulnerabilities cover all different kinds of Internet threats:
- Viruses and spyware
- Netbots, malware that hijacks networks for operations like sending spam
- Spim (spam for IM)
- Offensive content
- Sensitive file uploads
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With the number of different IM applications out there, it’s even more difficult to set effective IM controls, since not all programs have the same security features and users can just install a different application. This creates need for a reliable hosted IM filter, which can help protect your business.
LivePrism offers a different solution through a hosted instant messaging filter. Because LivePrism is a hosted IM filter, it works differently than locally installed software filters. LivePrism hosted IM filter works by redirecting DNS settings to LivePrism’s servers. The LivePrism hosted instant messaging filter allows businesses to continue to use IM because it filters chat content, controls file transfers, and restricts access in real-time.
- Content filters. LivePrism’s hosted IM filter can be configured to log or block IM using flexibly-defined keywords. This allows administrators to restrict vulgarities, profanity, and explicit words, as well as company-sensitive terms.
- Virus scanning. The hosted instant messaging filter automatically blocks dangerous file types like .scr, .vbs, or .exe and identified viruses, spyware, and malware like Trojans and netbots.
- Controlling file transfers. File transfers can be logged, archived, or blocked through a hosted IM filter to keep from losing sensitive company documents.
- Spim identification. Similar to spam identification filters, the LivePrism hosted IM filter recognizes known spim messages and screen names and blocks them from contact users.
- Enabling and disabling IM applications. LivePrism hosted instant messaging filter software supports three major IM programs, Yahoo, Windows Messenger, and AIM. Each of these can either be allowed or blocked for the whole network, users, or groups, so that IM use can be restricted to company-approved applications.
- User and screen name control. Employees are added to LivePrism's hosted instant messaging filter software by their real name, IM screen name, and associated IM protocols. This allows fine-grained control over individual IM use and tracking.
- Reporting, logging, and archiving. The full text of every IM chat is archived. Actions, like blocked users or blocked messages, are also logged. LivePrism hosted im filter archives can be searched to track usage, file transfers, and screen names.
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