Instant Messaging Rules: A Business Guide to Managing Policies, Security, and Legal Issues for Safe IM Communication

IM Rule # 4: Originally Intended for Home Use, Instant Messaging Poses Significant Risk to Business Users.

Nationwide, renegade employees have downloaded free personal IM software, or ‘‘clients,’’ from AOL, Yahoo!, and MSN directly onto their business computers, laptops, and handhelds. Without technology in place to prevent security breaches, protect confidential data, battle viruses and spim, monitor and block content, purge unnecessary messages, and retain and archive business records, consumer-grade IM tools put an organization at tremendous risk.