Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing programs such as Gnutella, Bittorrent, and Kazaa allow for very quick file downloads from multiple sources at the same time. These programs gained a following as users shared their music files with the world. The source of free music of just about any variety was irresistable to many. Since then, the networks have expanded to include pirated software, videos, movies, and a variety of legal uncopyrighted material. In recent times, these networks of files have been heavily infected with Trojan and other malicious files. Lawsuits from the RIAA mean that people using file sharing networks have a real possibility of being sued -- and in practice, it is the owner of the broadband connection that is sued regardless of who actually shared or downloaded files.

For these reasons and also because of the large amount of Bandwidth that these sorts of applications consume, most companies create policies forbidding the use of P2P programs.

eSoft's Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), included with Email ThreatPak and Web ThreatPak, includes a feature for alerting or blocking P2P file sharing traffic so that administrators can enforce corporate policies intended on limiting liability and keeping corporate resources free for legitimate uses.

Instant Messenger (IM) Chats

Instant messenger applications such as AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! IM can be great communications tools, but they can also be tremendous time wasters for employees who are inclined to find distractions from work. In addition to productivity issues, IM programs can be a major source of threats. Some users receive large amounts of Spam over IM (SPIM) when they log on to IM and many of the links being sent are not just to sell Viagra, but lead to sites where malicious software and browser exploits lurk. Further, IM programs contain features that allow direct file transfers between computers and a number of worms have been known to spread over instant messenger networks. Finally, many IM programs include features for playing games, watching videos, and other activities not suited for the workplace. For these reasons and others, many companies have policies disallowing IM programs or at least disallowing file transfers over IM.

eSoft's Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), included with Email ThreatPak and Web ThreatPak, includes the ability to block all IM traffic, block specific IM programs, or block IM file transfers.