Anyone will receive different kinds of offline and online messages from friends and acquaintances. Some would be links to other websites they have done, pictures or news feeds. But while these would be helpful in most cases, it would be best to first query the person and ask what the site is all about.

Cases of rapidly increasing links that creep into the instant messaging service create havoc and spread to the entire contact list of people endorsing the various instant messaging services available over the web today. The most popular of which is perhaps Yahoo Messenger and Instant Messaging. These are the widely used modes of communication today since aside from saving on cost, they hold a wider coverage, thanks to the Internet which is available all throughout the world today.

Hence, such coverage offers a tempting way of making lives miserable and the computers a living hell. The discomforts that it would have would drive a person crazy since the need to remedy the situation may take some time. However, for some people there is always the option to format the whole system, something that is not needed by people who need to access their files regularly and have no backup copies.

[tags]yahoo messenger virus, spyware, instant messaging, hyperlinks, bad links[/tags]

Tags: bad-links, hyperlinks, Instant Messaging, Spyware, yahoo-messenger-virus

Categories: Backups, IM, IT Security Basics, Instant Messaging, Malware, Spyware, Tips

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Slowly but surely, communication has grown entirely advanced. At first, it was mainly done through keystrokes called chatting conversations with some emoticons in tow to spice up the supposed conversation. Next came the web cam era wherein a person can now see the person he is talking to, being more relieved that the person they are communicating to is really existent.

Today, voice messaging has been added to the fray, making it all the more enticing for people who put premium on the web with regards to communicating with friends and associates anywhere in the world. One can just imagine the savings that such voice calls can provide compared to the old practice of making calls by phone. Indeed the latter was very expensive to the point that people would have problems settling their accounts payable to such providers.

Voice messaging today over the Internet is free as long as it is a PC to PC call. However, leaning on the trends and developments, it is not far fetched to see that one day that such offered voice calls would charge minimal amounts which would gradually increase as demand does too.

[tags]im, instant messaging, video conference, voice messaging[/tags]

Tags: IM, Instant Messaging, video-conference, voice-messaging

Categories: IM, Instant Messaging, Privacy & Anonymity, Wireless Security

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The different instant messenger services that sites such as MSN and Yahoo offer are no longer limited towards the need of having to subscribe towards each network individually. Thanks to the efforts by all the networks today, regardless if you are a member of Yahoo or MSN only, you can communicate with other people as well. This makes it more convenient for people to message other people from one network to another, taking away the need to create separate accounts.

It was only a matter of time before such possibilities could be made. Take into consideration the cross communication that cellular networks were able to do, only thing is that messaging does not really need spending issues. Messaging over the Internet is entirely free and all that was solved was really more of convenience and creation of dummy accounts just to avail of such service.

Such not only becomes an inconvenience for the networks but for the subscribers as well since they have to go between services just to see their buddies online.

[tags]yahoo messenger, msn messenger, instant messaging[/tags]

Tags: Instant Messaging, msn-messenger, yahoo-messenger

Categories: IM, Instant Messaging, Real-World Issues

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Instant messaging has become the next generation means of being able to talk with people anywhere in the world. A lot of IM software has been offered and made available to all people exposed over the Internet. The list includes the following:

1. Yahoo Messenger
2. MSN Messenger
3. ICQ
4. Chikka
5. Skype
6. America Online

The technology invested in these messaging programs has included that of providing features that enable people to use web cameras to actually see who they are talking with, voice chat, and being able to send text messages to mobile phones anywhere in the world as long as they are affiliated with them.

Such innovations and advancement in technology has truly changed the face of communicating prowess in the world. Aside from the available resources over the web, cost has been trimmed down and made economical for anyone. Besides, the early practices of making long distance calls have become a thing of last resort for people. Ask the telecommunication companies, they can attest to this fact.

[tags]instant messaging, yahoo messenger, msn messenger, chikka, skype[/tags]

Tags: chikka, Instant Messaging, msn-messenger, skype, yahoo-messenger

Categories: IM, Instant Messaging, Real-World Issues, Wireless Security

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Trojans hacks and worms can easily enter a person’s computer by a mere click of a link. Instant messaging, the new trend in adhering towards faster and easier communication anywhere in the world has been enhanced thoroughly, going to the extent of allowing links to be followed, sometimes generated automatically from infected computers. Such are done even when offline messages are left, such as in Yahoo Messenger issues.

The best way to avoid such links is to refrain from clicking on links without prior notice from the actual user. While most people would rely heavily on the level of relationship that they would have with their online buddy, it is still best to double check and verify before proceeding on the site link.

Being infected is quite painful that it leads to even formatting the entire system. This holds true for people who are not aware or have the time to clean it manually and methodically. Hence, the best way is to be more cautious, especially when peculiar links are met.

[tags]trojans, worms, yahoo messenger, instant messaging, hijack[/tags]

Tags: hijack, Instant Messaging, trojans, worms, yahoo-messenger

Categories: IM, IT Security Basics, Instant Messaging, Malware, Spyware, Wireless Security

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NTT Communications (Japan) have created a new secure Instant Messaging system. This system communicates over TLS (Transport Layer Security), the successor to the SSL standard.

Communications on most IM systems are secured between client and server - where password exchange typically takes place, but once the initial connection has been established, messages themselves are usually passed directly between clients. In the new messaging system, all communication goes through the sever, and is performed over an encrypted TLS connection.

This allows, apparently, restrictions on the server to govern which users can talk to each other, which types of files may be sent, and so on.

This sounds like a great idea, but there is a reason for current systems to communicate directly between clients - a single relay server is a single point of failure, and also serves as a bottleneck in the network. Using TLS only serves to further slow down the server, and I am not sure how well this solution would scale (though a network of servers, IRC style, might work…)

Meanwhile, for small to medium corporations, this could be the secure solution that has been needed for a long time. It will be a while before it becomes scalable to the entire Internet, though, I expect.

[tags]IM software,bottleneck,encryption,data centers, instant messaging, online security[/tags]

Tags: bottleneck, Cryptography, data-centers, encryption, IM-software, Instant Messaging, Network Security, online-security

Categories: Cryptography, Network Security

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File transfers through instant messaging (IM) is one of the causes of vulnerabilities in a network. It is so easy to send files to each other via IM — it is just a couple of clicks away. Before you know it, your pictures are transferred to your online buddy’s computer and vice versa. What network administrators do sometimes is tighten the security by setting up a firewall that restricts it.

There is a product called Aladdin eSafe which blocks file transfers through IM. What happens is that the messages still get through but no file transfers happen. The following IM protocols are assessed by the software: ICQ/AOL Messenger, MSN Messenger, Windows Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. It could also block Skype.

eSafe is targeted to help the organizations that will use it in terms of increasing the productivity of the people. By limiting or blocking file transfers, the people will have less distractions and so they could focus on working. They could keep on using IM in order to communicate with each other.

First and foremost, you could try to make sure that you are clear about your company’s policy on the use of IM software. The way you deal with the people involved would be critical because they are the ones who will be directly affected. As such, you might try recommending other ways of sending files like maybe through email or maybe you could have a file server of sorts but to determine how to limit access might be the difficult part.

Tags: Instant Messaging, IT Security Basics, News

Categories: IT Security Basics, Instant Messaging, News

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