Security vendor FaceTime Communications has released the only security product on the market allowed to look at encrypted instant messages sent between Skype users.
The upgrade to the company's Greynet Enterprise Manager (GEM) detects harmful URLs (uniform resource locators) within instant messages.
Instant messages are one way a hacker can lure victims to a harmful Web site. Through a compromised instant-messaging account, a hacker may have access to a person's contact list. Those contacts may think they are being sent a link by a friend, but fall victim to a social engineering trick that puts their PCs at risk.
FaceTime is the only company that has an agreement to develop security software with Skype, which is owned by eBay.
Skype revealed to FaceTime part of an API (application programming interface) that lets the company's product detect URLs but doesn't let it see the actual text of the messages, said Nick Sears, FaceTime's vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
FaceTime detects malicious URLs by comparing those sent in instant messages to a database of known malicious links, Sears said. If a bad one is detected, the user is sent a warning message.
One of the most popular VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications, Skype is known for its simplicity, convenience and function. But it has posed a concern to companies due to its use of encryption for voice conversations and instant messages.
Skype constantly updates the protocol to ensure privacy for its users, but Skype's stealth is worrisome for security-minded IT managers tasked with ensuring sensitive company data doesn't leave their networks.
A year ago FaceTime released its first product for Skype, FaceTime Internet Security Edition for Skype. The product controls who is allowed to use Skype, as well as finer-grained controls, such as whether a user can use Skype's chat function or send files.
The latest upgrade is part of GEM, which is available as an add-on to FaceTime's Unified Security Gateway (USG), an appliance for instant messaging and VOIP security. Pricing for USG plus GEM's new Skype feature is about US$9,000 for 100 users per year, which includes maintenance, Sears said.
The new Skype feature is also available for FaceTime's IM Auditor, an instant messaging management appliance.
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Computerworld Live Podcast #97: The Future of Enterprise Networking 25/07/2008 09:45:36
This week CW Live chats with Mark Thompson, global sales and marketing manager for HP ProCurve, on the future of the enterprise networking. Mark discusses the trends we can expect to see in the near future and how the right infrastructure can ensure your enterprise network is secure. - +
Computerworld Live Podcast #96: Security at the Edge 11/06/2008 09:22:22
CW Live speaks with Amol Mitra, HP ProCurve Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan. Today's topic: how enterprises are starting to shift away from simply controlling security via server logins, firewalls and moving to more adaptive security frameworks. - +
Data Management Edition #10: Multi-Petascale Systems 02/05/2008 09:12:33
This week we look at sustainability and the development of multicore technologies to build multi-petascale systems. - +
IT Security Edition #11: How to poison the Storm botnet 01/05/2008 08:51:55
This week CW Live presents a case study on how to poison the notorious Storm botnet . Plus we take a look at Cisco's plans for Ironport. - +
IT Security Edition #10: Cyber-battles fought and won 24/04/2008 11:09:47
Vendors bow to end user pressure to improve product security, and we take a look at the latest concepts shaping the cyber-battlefield of the future.
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