A survey by Infosecurity Europe of 291 companies has found that 93 percent of companies believe instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) usage is moving faster than corresponding security.
Further to this, according to interviews Infosecurity Europe conducted with a panel of 20 Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of large enterprises, IM is now prevalent in organizations with large volumes of financial transactions being carried out over IM in some organizations.
Another concern was that as IM allows encrypted data traffic it could be an undetectable source of data leakage. There are similar security concerns relating to VoIP regarding encrypted traffic, and also the potential for spam to clog VoIP communications.
“The convergence of communications networks, devices and content has enabled service providers to deliver newer, faster and more advanced services including voice, data, video and applications – all over a single IP network,” said Marika Konings, director of European affairs for the Cyber Security Industry Alliance. “While these rapid technology advancements have tremendous benefits, they have raised questions from policymakers about whether security can keep up. It is vital for the information security industry to stay engaged with our policymakers as they evaluate the impact of these new technologies, and it is exciting that a premier event such as Infosecurity Europe is providing an opportunity to explore the current legislative climate.”