Akonix in the News – 2005 Archives

Trio of trouble: Malcode targets Windows, IM users
A worm called Dasher is targeting a Windows flaw that Microsoft patched two months ago. The prolific Bagle family of worms and Trojans is acting up again. And a Trojan called Banbra is spreading through IM programs.
SearchSecurity | 12 16 05

Beware Of IM Greeting Cards
Akonix Systems Inc. today said it has identified a new instant messaging worm named W32/Aimdes.E, that disguises itself as a holiday greeting card.
InformationWeek | 12 06 05

Study: IM worms up again in November
The number of worms that targeted instant-messaging services hit 62 in November, up 226 percent from October and hitting a new record.
CNet | 11 29 05

Danger: Don't wile away your career on IM
"I tell my clients that they should never put anything in an instant message that they would feel uncomfortable repeating on the witness stand," said Sarah Pierce, partner with Atlanta-based law firm Ford & Harrison LLP.
Atlanta Business Chronicle | 11 18 05

Hackers up pressure on P2P networks
"Companies who have not deployed a real-time communication security solution, need to take a serious look at the type of activity taking place within their organization - before it is too late. It is just a matter of time before we see an IM or P2P attack that will bring down entire networks."
SC Magazine | 11 01 05

Eight companies honored by local AeA
Finalists said to reflect health of tech economy
Award winners, by industry, were:
Emerging growth—Akonix Systems. Other finalists were Alignent Software, Infommersion, Staccato Communications, Streamload and Xifin.
Union-Tribune | 10 21 05

Akonix promises to house train Instant Messaging
One company stepping up to the challenge of migrating IM into the enterprise is Akonix Systems of San Diego, CA with their L7 product family.
Enterprise Times | 10 14 05

Akonix Secures IM From Afar
Akonix, an early entrant in the IM enterprise-class security solutions game, says its new remote user agent allows organizations the comfort and security to have employees working offsite, providing the same IM security and compliance protection as users connected to the corporate network.
InternetNews | 10 12 05

Connect names innovative-product finalists
Connect, the San Diego business development organization, yesterday announced the finalists for its 18th annual Most Innovative New Product Awards.
SignOnSanDiego | 10 08 05

IM Attacks Get More Sophisticated, Says Akonix
The Q3 report tracked several new findings, including a new phase in the sophistication of the social engineering efforts used by IM virus writers to target unsuspecting IM users. August marked the first month where a virus queried the configuration of the client software to determine the language setting and then sent a message in the language of that client.
CXO Today | 10 03 05

Online safety threats lurk in instant messages
IM security vendor says recorded threats have doubled since last year
ComputerWorld | 10 03 05

Threat Alert: Instant Messaging Attacks
By now you know to be leery of email attachments, even when they seem to come from a friend or colleague. These days, however, you also have to be careful of IM attachments and links—because the virus writers are already there, too.
PC World | 09 30 05

IM networks under daily attack
This quarter has brought new parent worms, and September has seen the highest number of IM attacks ever, according to security vendor Akonix.
Information Week | 09 29 05

IM Network attacks Increasing according to Akonix Systems
Akonix Systems, a provider of IM security solutions, today announced that its Security Center team tracked the highest monthly total of new threats ever recorded, with 25 viruses identified in September.
Technology News Daily | 09 29 05

Hackers Step Up Attacks on IM Networks
Instead of the usual Internet browser or email targets, hackers may be taking aim first at instant messaging networks. One security research outfit on Wednesday reported the highest monthly total ever of new IM viruses.
eWeek | 09 28 05

Nearly Half May Not Make Second Sarbanes-Oxley Deadline
Nearly half of all companies affected by the second round of Sarbanes-Oxley deadlines do not expect to meet the July 2006 target, according to a poll of IT executives facing the deadline.
eWeek | 09 27 05

Poll: Companies Unprepared For Next Sarbanes-Oxley Deadline
Nearly half of public companies that filed for extensions to meet Sarbanes-Oxley requirements are likely to miss the next deadline, according to a poll by Akonix Systems, Inc.
Information Week | 09 26 05

Workers waste hour a day on IM
One in four workers admits to spending more than two hours a day chatting with their significant other over instant messaging. The survey by San Diego, California-based Akonix revealed that 26 percent of the US employees polled said they take two hours out of their workday to IM partners. The average amount of time wasted on personal IM was a staggering 61 minutes per day per person.
itNews.com.au | 09 22 05

The State of IM at Work
The use of instant messaging has exploded in the workplace and managers are doing little to keep the technological conversation under control. A study of the UK workplace by Akonix shows that organizations are unprepared for the problems, both legal and security, that could be unleashed via the chit chat of IM.
SalesAndMarketing.com | 09 20 05

IM Security Space Gets More Crowded
As IM security threats continue to mount, so too grow the solutions geared to protect against such threats. Managed security vendor Postini today announced that it would be entering the IM security fray with a new hosted solution.
Internet News | 09 13 05

IM threats decline but grow in sophistication
"August's Kelvir-HI variant reflects how advanced virus writers are becoming in manipulating IM network settings," Francis Costello, chief technology officer at Akonix, said in a statement.
SC Magazine | 09 07 05

So many sinister IM buddies... so little time
People are using a mix of programs that include AOL, MSN and Yahoo. The bigger the mix, the tougher it is to control the programs from within the IT shop. Then there's the prospect of people trading sensitive files with the outside world using a program few consider secure.
Information Security | 09 06 05

Tapping into Google Talk
Akonix has added support for Google Talk to its enterprise Instant Messaging (IM) control appliance. The Akonix L7 CM5000 device can enforce corporate policies on Google Talk users, blocking usage where specified, and logging IM conversations for archiving.
Techworld.com | 09 02 05

Open Standards: Everyone Wants to Google Talk!
It seems like Google caused quite a stir in the online chatting world when it announced the open standards-based Google Talk software client yesterday. According to Akonix's news announcement, the company's products "enable organizations to use public IM services like Google Talk, while enforcing corporate policies, blocking unauthorized use, protecting against security risks and logging and archiving IM conversations to comply with various corporate, industry and government requirements and regulations."
TMCnet | 08 25 05

Polyglot IM worm targets MSN
The worm works by downloading a copy of the previous Spybot worm and tracking down the default language of a user, sending a message in either English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Swedish, Italian, Portuguese or Turkish.
The Register | 08 25 05

IM worm speaks your language
A new worm spreading over IM networks is the first to check system settings in order to send a message in the appropriate language. The Kelvir-HI instant messaging worm is spreading over MSN Messenger's network, albeit modestly. IM security specialist Akonix classifies it as a low-risk threat.
News.com | 08 24 05

Akonix Debuts Instant-Messaging Security Appliance
Akonix said the next trend in perimeter security devices is to go beyond the firewall and email security boundaries with appliances that protect against threats targeting the growing use of new applications and protocols.
Sci-Tech Today | 08 17 05

The Third Wave of Security Appliances
Akonix has rolled out a security appliance for protecting against threats targeted toward IM use and peer-to-peer file-sharing.
Internet News | 08 17 05

Instant messaging spreading to the workplace
Instant messaging, currently the domain of teens for chatting online, is fast becoming an essential tool for corporate communications. Research suggests that by 2008, the use of IM in companies will be as common as the use of email.
AsiaOne | 08 09 05

Security Firm Warns of IM Worm
Less than a week after sounding the warning bell regarding a barrage of threats coming through public Instant Messaging (IM) clients, Akonix Security Center said it has discovered another bug.
Internet News | 08 09 05

IM threats on the rise
The number of new worms and other security problems hitting instant-messaging services in July, climbing 24 percent over the previous month
ZDNet | 08 04 05

New Trend Found In IM Enterprise Threats
Nearly a quarter more new viruses threatening corporate computers through employee use of public instant-messaging networks were discovered last month, including one that reflected a new trend of attacking multiple IM systems, a security firm said.
Information Week | 08 04 05

IM Threats Bombard Systems
Security threats are still bombarding instant messaging clients, as the number of new scams was on the rise for the second consecutive quarter.
InternetNews.com | 08 04 05

Instant message lockdown
Few people are flattered when you call them paranoid or controlling. But in information technology circles, these traits are positive. We can thank viruses, hackers and spammers for that.
FCW.com | 07 25 05

Byte by bite
What's the story going to be for 2005? Who the heck knows, plus the year's only half gone.
Union Democrat | 07 15 05

Instance Messaging Expose Companies to Vulnearbilities
Further more, Businesses must have the ability to block and manage external IM communications. Otherwise, they run the risk of employees sending file attachments and other material to others outside of the organization. This can range from highly confidential product designs to internal financial data.
eBCVG IT Security | 07 12 05

Eye on IM
Remember to govern the use of instant messaging, at the risk of losing employee productivity and courting security breaches
Line56 | 07 12 05

Enterprises Risk End Point Exposure
Confusion surrounding end point security (EPS) and a lack of instant message monitoring are leaving some organizations vulnerable to malware, malicious code, destructive spam, and possible litigation, according to separate reports released today.
CRM Media | 07 11 05

IM Threats Skyrocket
Threats targeting instant messaging and P2P networks exploded last month, as reports jumped nearly 400 percent, according to security firm Akonix.
Enterprise IT Planet | 07 11 05

Akonix Reports 400% Increase In IM Threats
Akonix today announced that the Akonix Security Center team tracked 52 new threats targeting IM and P2P systems during the month of June.
Information Week | 07 05 05

UK Businesses 'Wide Open' to Online Threats
UK businesses could be leaving themselves open to new security and legal threats because they fail to control staff use of instant messaging. A YouGov survey has highlighted the rising use of IM as a business tool.
ECT News Network | 06 17 05

Hackers Aim for AIM
I guess you can count me among the initiated. Last month, I was subject to my first spim attack -- a crafty message, with an embedded link, that appeared to be from a friend. I soooooo should have known better. But, sure enough, I clicked and was rerouted to a page that had a whole lot of nothing.
The Motley Fool | 06 16 05

Case Study: Energy Company Monitors IM
Threats to instant messaging and peer-to-peer systems are on the rise, according to security vendor Akonix Systems. In May the company tracked 51 new IM and peer-to-peer threats, more than half the total it recorded for the first three months of the year, it said in a statement Tuesday.
Enterprise Systems | 06 08 05

Study: IM and P2P pests on the rise
Is your company's use of instant messaging secure, and does it meet regulatory requirements? That's what Topeka, Kansas-based Westar Energy Inc., the state's largest electric utility, wanted to know. Given the threat from outside attacks and spam sent over IM (sometimes known as 'SPIM'), as well as the need to monitor energy-trading transactions for regulatory reasons, Westar began researching IM monitoring.
News.com | 06 08 05

IM Worm Blitz Continues
Threats to instant messaging clients and networks continued to climb in May, a security firm said Tuesday, a trend that's been plaguing users since the beginning of 2005. According to instant messaging security vendor Akonix, its Security Center researchers tracked 51 new IM and peer-to-peer threats during May, more than half of the total recorded for the entire first three months of 2005.
InformationWeek | 06 07 05

A message about IM
I know a guy who got an IM from a trusted friend. The message said, "Hey, I thought you would be interested in this." This was link-underlined, so he quickly clicked it.
InfoWorld | 05 27 05

Instant Messaging: A New Front in the Malware War
IM users whose communications are blocked by a corporate firewall can configure some IM clients to communicate via port 80, which is used for HTTP traffic and commonly left open on firewalls. This can make it more difficult for administrators to block IM use on their networks.
eWeek | 05 23 05

A Torrent of Sith Searches
Internetnews.com | 05 20 05

Star Wars Downloading Stealing Corporate Bandwidth
Security Pro News | 05 20 05

INTERNET INSECURITY: Threats Target New Technologies
SmartMoney.com | 05 17 05

Messaging spreads office gossip
BBC News | 05 17 05

Firms neglect threats from Instant Messenger misuse
Netimperative | 05 17 05

Instant Messaging opens Pandora's box
Vnu.net | 05 16 05

Corporate Spim Is No LOL Matter
Newsweek | 05 09 05

Akonix L7 Enterprise brings IM under control
TechTarget | 05 05 05

Akonix Raises Threat Rating for Kelvir Virus
CXOToday | 04 18 05

Worms wiggle into IM
InfoWorld | 04 15 05

Akonix Security Center Flags Huge Increase In IM Threats
Messaging Pipeline | 04 05 05

Opinion: Stonecipher Affair Raises Big Issues For E-Mail And IM Compliance
Messaging Pipeline | 04 04 05