Preemptive Threat Protection System to Combat Attacks on Instant Messaging Networks

In response to the increase in the number of real-time threats targeting instant messaging networks, IMlogic last week announced the availability of the IMlogic Real-Time Threat Protection System (RTTPS), the industry's first preemptive security solution to predict and combat "zero-day" attacks targeting instant messaging networks. Integrated with IMlogic IM Manager and the IMlogic Threat Center, the patent-pending RTTPS establishes a global, networked community to exchange threat detection and blocking information in real-time to block IM security attacks, hours in advance of when conventional anti-virus signature file updates are made available. RTTPS automatically detects and quarantines suspicious or dangerous enterprise IM traffic before IM worms and viruses can propagate and infect vulnerable users and cause significant damage to corporate networks.

"Traditional AV defense relies on signature-based security that looks for patterns of known viruses," said Matt Cain, research vice president with Gartner. "A rapidly spreading IM virus or worm can compromise a significant number of machines in a very short period of time, before signature patterns are known. A preemptive security approach can reduce the window of vulnerability and provide protection during zero-day IM attacks."

IM worms and viruses pose a technical challenge to corporate IT environments, utilizing real-time communications channels and effective social engineering techniques to spread malware orders of magnitude faster than e-mail. Given the speed and complexity of IM attacks, isolated incidents can escalate quickly into network-wide outbreaks, spreading to a substantial percentage of corporate desktops in only a few hours once initial infection occurs. The meteoric rise in the quantity and sophistication of IM threats makes "preemption" a critical capability to detect and block IM attacks. Organizations that rely solely on reactive security solutions and desktop protection face the risk of virulent and costly zero-day IM attacks.

"Of the technology we evaluated, only IMlogic's system provides an all-in-one, comprehensive, proactive approach to shutting down IM viruses before they spread," said Kyle Getz, director, IT infrastructure support services for The Seattle Times newspaper. "As part of a global community watching for potential attacks, we feel confident our IM network will now defend against IM viruses so we can safely communicate in real time, which is critical to producing the online and printed products of a daily metropolitan newspaper."

Former White House Special Advisor for Cyberspace Security, Howard A. Schmidt agrees that companies need to make proactive messaging security a priority. "With the rapid growth of IM worms, viruses, and blended threats, instant messaging security should be at the top of the list for every security and IT professional," commented Schmidt. "However, taking a reactive approach is not enough to combat the real-time nature of these threats. IMlogic is once again demonstrating its leadership in the IM security market by being the first and only company to combine a global community of users and a network of the leading messaging security firms with predictive, proactive protection from real-time IM related threats."