Internet Newsletter for Lawyers |
|---|
IM tools, like most peer-to-peer exchange technologies, operate through unregulated,
non-standard, stand-alone HTTP or HTTPS protocols. AOL, Yahoo and MSN are among the
best known public IM service providers. IM communications in the workplace are usually sent
from a desktop PC or from a laptop of a remotely located employee. Costs are typically similar
to e-mail and, for instance, in the case of AOL Messenger, are included in the annual
subscription to the service provider.
IM’s primary value is in its ability to send messages which are instant, definitive and decisive,
and where the need for a continuous exchange of communications does not arise.
Its most common use in legal firms is for imparting information over ongoing cases as in
reporting progress on a house sale or purchase, with the message often being sent to the
client’s mobile phone.
It is therefore important that case management and document management software is capable
of integrating with, and supporting, at least AOL, Yahoo and MSN. As an exchange of IM
typically takes place over ongoing cases and is associated with client matters, meetings or
documents, an IM solution must be able to record communications within a case management
system and to archive them within that system, should the need for retrieval arise at a later
date.
IM can also be useful in the transmission of time-critical messages to hundreds of people, for
instance, in the case of new company procedures or alerts of varying types.
In many organisations, there is frequently total ignorance of those by whom, and the extent to
which, IM is being used, and the potential risk to which the organisation is being exposed. There
are also specific issues of concern:
Security: Most IM occurs over free, public networks, easily exposed to vulnerabilities in a
corporate network. IMs are not encrypted and can be subject to hacking, identity spoofing and
interception of conversations. Symantec claims a 400% increase in IM viruses, worms and
Trojans over the 12 months prior to May 2005.
Viruses: Significant threats have arisen from downloading and executing virus-infected
attachments and clicking on links that take users to web sites that execute malicious code. For
example, a virus called Bropia detects an online presence and installs a copy of itself in other
computers, so that when other IM users go online they are infected with the host computer’s
database.
Identity: Unlike e-mail, IM communications can be sent by users using a variety of
unrecognisable screen names. Uncontrolled use of screen names allows rogue users to
assume other people’s identity, sabotaging the exchange of confidential information and
perpetrating its unauthorised distribution.
‘Spim’;: IM spam is increasing over public networks and can also involve disclosure and
circulation of confidential information. Occasionally, these communications manifest themselves
as ‘phishing’ attacks which engineer users into divulging confidential data for fraudulent
purposes.
Records: Corporate governance regulations now require records to be kept in either digital or
paper format. Care should be taken to ensure that appropriate procedures are adopted for
recording and archiving IM communications.
Obviously, care should be taken to check that these products have the desired effects before
relying on them.
The set up and ongoing costs should also be examined, as well as the quality of the support
and help-desk facilities provided and the availability of software updates and new versions as
the field itself develops.
Rupert Kendrick is a solicitor and director of Web4Law Ltd., www.web4law.biz, a risk
management consultancy, and he specialises in IT and Internet risk issues. He provides an
Internet Toolkit on internet risk topics for the Law Society’s Law Management section.
Back to Contents.
Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging (IM) is communications technology, which can send simple messages and
data attachments to mobile phones or other mobile devices very quickly and conveniently. In
May 2005, research analysts, Gartner, found IM to be used in as many as 70% of companies.
By Rupert Kendrick
What are the risks?
IM communications operate outside the protection of firewalls, filters and URL blockers. A
recent study found that 47% of IM requests related to pornography and 97% infringed copyright!
Private use of IM (or chat) can disrupt the normal flow of business communication and can bring
about reduced productivity for the firm.
Are there any IT solutions?
Proprietary solutions include:
Email Rupert@web4law.biz.