You can also install an "intelligent" firewall and a bandwidth shaper to control those things regardless of app. My firewall does virus scanning at the packet level for the major Internet-based protocols - HTTP, FTP, POP3, SMTP, etc (I expect that they will support IM protocols in the near future as it becomes more heavily used in the Corporate world) and our Packetshaper can classify and control damn near any kind of traffic. It gives me the ability, for instance, to allow students to use AOL for IM but not for file transfers or they can fetch music with Kazaa but not share files out to the rest of the world and I can do these things from a single web-based console - no desktop configuration required. They dont really give me the logging capabilities that you might want for IM but they do mitigate the "threats" associated with IM.
Jeff Hague MCSE Network Manager Randolph-Macon College -----Original Message----- From: Mellott, Bill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 12:54 PM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: Viewpoints of IM Kind'a.. not exactly in most setup's BUT IM's without a thrid party APP will bypass all your virus net's... where for example my e-mail pass thru trend IMSS (virus scan 1) then to my exchange 55 box with trend MAilscan on it (Scan 2) Not to mention that you can block File Transfer thru IM without a third party app... If I allowed my users at this time to say run MSN, AOL, Yahoo, ICQ..etc without a third party APP to scan/control....these things make basically by pass Prescanning and I must then rely purly on desktop scan's Trend Offcie client... I guess I could go on ..it's an on going fight for me here... Will I bend??? Yes when I can 1.) Customize the IM client to only allow messaging (no file trans etc.) 2.) Log the communications 3.) Have some type of gateway/client that can talk to all these non standard system IM's i.e. One client not 4..etc... 4.) When I can virus scan it... 5.) A gateway to e-mail bill -----Original Message----- From: Martin Tuip [MVP] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 11:22 AM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: Re: Viewpoints of IM The same counts for people using email systems though -------------------------- Martin Tuip MVP Exchange Exchange 2000 List owner www.exchange-mail.org www.sharepointserver.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mellott, Bill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Exchange Discussions" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 7:22 AM Subject: RE: Viewpoints of IM > Ill Add 2 cents to this > > Consider the security ramifications to IM > > While many will ignore or look the other way....it can be significant... > Take the financial industry.... to IM they must/should do a great many > thing's partially by law now.... > > > bill > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ken Cornetet [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 8:49 AM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: RE: Viewpoints of IM > > > We've been using IM, and while it can be used to waste time, it is also > extremely handy. Much more real-time than email, but not as intrusive as > a phone call. > > Now, for which IM to use... > > 1. Use external, free IM such as MSN .Net Messenger or Yahoo. This has > several advantages: free, easy to set up, automatically connects your > users with business partners (provided they are using the same service). > The disadvantages are: no logging, no control, conversations traverse > the internet in plain text. There are third-party products that > intercept the communication stream of these free services and give you > logging and control, but they aint cheap. > > 2. Use IM that comes with Exchange 2000. Don't do this! This product is > obsolete, and has been replaced with LCS (live communications server). > If you have Exchange 2000 by way of one of MS's licensing programs, you > are grandfathered in for LCS client licenses. > > 3. Use LCS. Works good (after you manage to wade through the crappy > installation docs). You can control who gets IM, and you can log > conversations (logging is either all or none, though). Logging also > requires SQLServer. LCS runs only on server 2003. Additionally, if you > plan on using a separate logging server, it must run server 2003 as > well. The client software (Windows Messenger 5.0) can be configured to > talk to MSN .Net Messenger Service as well (but external conversations > are not logged). Windows Messenger also has extensive control via group > policies (you can, for example control who gets external IM capability). > There are third-party tools to connect LCS to external IM services, but > they are a bit pricey, and, at least in the case of MSN, require you to > pay a subscription fee for "enterprise" connectivity. > > 4. Jabber. Jabber is the open standard for IM and there are several > servers and clients (free and commercial) that speak the Jabber > protocol. > > > One thing that trips most people up when starting with IM: Windows > Messenger and MSN .Net Messenger are NOT different versions of the same > thing. They are two separate animals. > > MSN Messenger cannot talk to any service other than MSN. Windows > Messenger can talk to Exchange 2000, LCS, and MSN. > > MSN Messenger has more consumer-friendly features (fluff). > > MSN Messenger cannot be controlled via group policy. Windows Messenger > has extensive group policy control features. > > The two CAN co-exist on Windows XP, but cannot on Windows 2K (unless you > do some jiggery). > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark > Nold > Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 7:12 PM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: Viewpoints of IM > > > My CEO wants us to install the IM that "comes with" Ex2k. I really > don't want to have our users have access to this as I see it as a > potential waste of time. Of course that's my opinion. > > And why I turn to those that know more than I. I've offered him the > thoughts I have on it: 1) no way to backup/restore IM, 2) creates an > "easy" place to have our corp. policies broken (slander, gossip, sharing > porn sites, etc) 3)no way to track who said what and when 4) waste of > time (OK that's not technical, but still....) > > His come back? "But I read its easy to install and configure and takes > no bandwidth". > > Can this list offer me any other sane reasons not to implement this (or > if you have a good reason to then let me know that too :) > > Thanks > Mark Nold > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Web Interface: > http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=exchange&text_mode=&; > lang=english > To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. > Attn: Discussion List Management > 475 Park Avenue South > New York, NY 10016 > > Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Web Interface: > http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=exchange&text_mode=&lang > =english > To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: > Jupitermedia Corp. > Attn: Discussion List Management > 475 Park Avenue South > New York, NY 10016 > > Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=exchange&text_mode=&lang =english > To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: > Jupitermedia Corp. > Attn: Discussion List Management > 475 Park Avenue South > New York, NY 10016 > > Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. > > > _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=exchange&text_mode=&lang =english To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. Attn: Discussion List Management 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Please include the email address which you have been contacted with. _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Web Interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=exchange&text_mode=&lang=english To unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. 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