Instant Messaging Security
Most instant messaging (IM) solutions in use today, such as MSN Messenger and AOL AIM, are non-secure, clear text transmissions. Simply put, the text sent in those messages travel through the Internet unprotected, making the information readily available for people other than the intended recipient to easily intercept and read.
- Why are the popular IM solutions not encrypted?
- How is VIA3 IM different?
- Password Security
- Control Stays in Your Hands with Secure IM
- The VIA3 Solution
Why are the popular IM solutions not encrypted?
IM started as a simple way to pass harmless information between friends and family. Today's popular consumer IM products simply use the Internet to quickly pass information—including your password—to other recipients. These services were not designed for sensitive information exchanged in the workplace.
As IM usage grew over the years and as it evolved into a convenient form of communication, it began to work its way into the daily business communication environment. Moreover, the content of these messages changed accordingly, often including credit card numbers, private financial information or even proprietary business information. The widespread media attention and liabilities arising from instances where such information was intercepted by an individual other than the intended recipient has caused several organizations to ban the use of non-secure IM tools.
Learn how to protect your organization’s information. Read about the four keys to instant message security.
How is VIA3 IM different?
VIA3® was designed from its inception to be completely secure; security was not an add-on or after thought. Each VIA3 user is given a unique public-private key pair that is used by the VIA3 software to protect and distribute sensitive data. The keys are an automated way to verify that the user is the intended recipient and gives only the computer the user is working on a unique code to decrypt the message in a quick and secure manner. The VIA3 software manages all of these security aspects for you in a transparent, seamless manner.
Furthermore, VIA3 secure IM is built on a security platform that uses AES encryption for all meeting components. VIA3 encrypts the message at your computer, transmits what is seemingly a garbled, unintelligible combination of symbols, then decrypts the information at the intended recipient's computer. This method ensures only the person you were intending to communicate with views the information. The VIA3 cryptographic module has been certified to meet Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 1, a government standard for cryptographic module security requirements as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Password Security
When you log on using VIA3, a secured software scheme is used for authentication, rather than sending your password across the Internet as with other non-secure IM products. Your password is protected from all angles; even VIACK® employees cannot access it.
Control Stays in Your Hands with Secure IM
With VIA3 secure IM, you decide who can contact you or see you online, and you determine who is added to your personal contact list. You request and grant permission to add people to your contact list. In addition, with end-to-end encryption built directly into the product, data is never stored on servers in an unprotected format.
The VIA3 Solution
VIA3 instant messaging is an integral part of VIA3 secure collaboration for any professional who routinely communicates valuable, sensitive information internally and externally. When using VIA3 secure IM, you are just a single click away from a completely secure and dynamic meeting with full audio, video and data capabilities for situations that call for more direct, interactive collaboration.
Related Links
Four keys to instant messaging security (PDF)
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