NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
09/28/05
Today's focus: Microsoft touts Live Communications Server for
securing IM
Dear security.world@gmail.com,
In this issue:
* Microsoft shows the way to secure IM
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia
Empower Your Mobile Enterprise
Nokia believes that business mobility will fundamentally change
the way work gets done-and for the better. To allow the entire
organization to get the most from this paradigm shift in
productivity, Nokia Enterprise Solutions focuses on delivering
increased efficiency through enhanced mobility. Learn more by
downloading this white paper today!
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=116017
_______________________________________________________________
IS IT THE NETWORK OR THE STORAGE THAT'S THE PROBLEM?
Midsize and larger businesses often find their IT topology has
become a complex mix of servers, networks and storage systems.
Many of these companies also route long-haul traffic over
fiber-based networks - metropolitan-area networks, WANs and
private optical networks. Who's responsible when a
storage-related problem occurs on a fiber network? For more,
click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115703
_______________________________________________________________
Today's focus: Microsoft touts Live Communications Server for
securing IM
By Dave Kearns
Instant messaging - to some network managers it's the devil's
tool. It eats up bandwidth while contributing to a downturn in
productivity they say. Others think it's a security minefield,
where the unwary risk having viruses and other malware
surreptitiously added to their users' desktops and, worse, their
network servers.
Banning IM doesn't seem to work. Plugging ports in the firewall
keeps people from IMing across security borders, but does
nothing to stop them internally. Worse, all these measures take
time and effort to maintain while causing ill-feeling among the
users. Most users don't think much of the IT department to begin
with - why give them more reasons to complain? But you do need
to control that traffic, don't you?
According to a Microsoft white paper, "Securing Enterprise
Instant Messaging with Live Communications Server 2005,"
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt7576 : "...the implementation
of [IM] systems in many enterprises has occurred in a
disorganized manner, driven by ad hoc adoption of public instant
messaging networks by employees... From a business integrity and
security standpoint, this adoption is troublesome because public
instant messaging networks are driven by a need for open
conversation with little thought to underlying security
requirements." So what can you do?
As you may have guessed from the title of the white paper,
Microsoft thinks that it's Live Communications Server (LCS)
might just be the answer to your dilemma.
LCS is an outgrowth of an IM client that was introduced in
Exchange 2000. This is the second iteration of LCS, the first
being released in 2003 (as LCS 2003, of course), and was
designed from the ground up with security and manageability in
mind.
Microsoft claims that there are a number of security problems
inherent in public IM networks:
* The difficulty of monitoring or blocking client-to-client file
transfers, giving attackers an easy route to send malicious code
directly to internal machines.
* The existence of security vulnerabilities in the IM clients
themselves.
* The ease with which an eavesdropper can capture IM session
data by monitoring it as it transits the public network.
* The difficulty of providing adequately secure communications
between users inside an organization and business partners or
customers outside it.
Not surprisingly, Microsoft claims that LCS overcomes all of
these problems with several security and reliability features,
including enhanced encryption at both the client and server,
strong authentication between clients and servers, secure
federation, and advanced compliance and logging.
In addition, LCS provides what Redmond refers to as
"enterprise-grade" manageability (most public IM have none at
all) by being integrated with the Windows Server System platform
providing a number of benefits, including single sign-on,
policy-based management, as well as management through familiar,
extensible Windows tools.
If IM is a problem on your network, or if you feel that IM could
(if used properly) benefit your enterprise, then you should read
the white paper and then decide if LCS 2005 would be a plus in
your network.
The top 5: Today's most-read stories
1. Skype: Hazardous to network health?
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt7853
2. How to solve Windows system crashes in minutes
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt7679
3. Commuting costs drive up telecommuting
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt7854
4. McAfee,?Omniquad top anti-spyware test
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6903
5. The rise of the IT architect
http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt7033
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns
Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill http://www.vquill.com/.
Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these
respective addresses: mailto:windows@vquill.com,
mailto:netware@vquill.com, mailto:identity@vquill.com.
Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
mailto:info@vquill.com
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia
Empower Your Mobile Enterprise
Nokia believes that business mobility will fundamentally change
the way work gets done-and for the better. To allow the entire
organization to get the most from this paradigm shift in
productivity, Nokia Enterprise Solutions focuses on delivering
increased efficiency through enhanced mobility. Learn more by
downloading this white paper today!
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=116016
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS
Breaking Windows networking news from Network World, updated
daily: http://www.networkworld.com/topics/windows.html
Operating Systems Research Center:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/operating-systems.html
Archive of the Windows Networking Tips newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
The Trend Micro Threat Map
The Trend Micro Threat Map dynamically displays real-time data
to show worldwide trends in virus and content security threats
as they happen. Collected from actual computer infections, the
Threat Map can be used to help determine appropriate security
policies, based on the prevalence of threats that can adversely
affect your business.
http://www.networkworld.com/go/trendmicro/trend_frr
_______________________________________________________________
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