Skype, the popular peer-to-peer (P2P) application, can lower
costs and improve productivity.. However, like other P2P
applications, organizations need control over its use to mitigate
security risks. These applications use encrypted proprietary
protocols, and can also pass undetected through open ports.
The specific risks of P2P networks include:
- Opening up back doors into
the network
- Enabling the exchange of
copyrighted material
- Overloading network
bandwidth with unauthorized file-sharing activities
- Increasing the potential
for productivity loss
- Allowing bundled adware
applications to be installed on the network without the user's
knowledge
Solution: Skype Security, Management & Control
Given the business benefits of Skype, prohibiting its use on the
corporate network may not be the right answer. Ideally, IT
needs adequate controls over Skype to protect the organization
against malicious or inadvertent use.
Actiance offers theonlyend-to-end security solution that
empowers IT departments to control the use of P2P networks,
allowing organizations to:
- Prevent unauthorized P2P connections
- Block unauthorized adware installations
- Mitigate business and security risk
- Obtain critical insights into bandwidth and port abuse
- Gain insights on source and destination IP addresses
Learn more about USG, the
only Secure Web Gateway to combine content monitoring, management,
and security of Web 2.0 applications (e.g., social media and IM)
with URL filtering, anti-malware, and Web anti-virus
protection.
Learn more about Vantage, the industry-leading
platform for granular security, policy controls, and compliance
features for real-time and unified communications. Vantage
manages the widest array of platforms, including Microsoft Lync/OCS
and IBM Sametime; public IM platforms such as Google Talk and
Skype; Web conferencing; and industry-focused networks such as
Reuters and Bloomberg.