Skype in corporate networks

22nd March 2007

The research, carried out by InfoWatch, was aiming to determine whether the use of Skype in the corporate scale can make an additional gap in the security system of a company. As it can be seen from the results, Skype turned out the most popular product to work with VoIP - among all users of this technology, 64.9% use Skype as well. The main risk in the use of the program, according to respondents, is the possibility of leakage of confidential information, reports CNews. InfoWatch carried out studies on the possibility of using Voip-communicator Skype as a means of intracorporate communication. The main criterion of communication through the net is security, and for corporate clients encryption of data in instant messenger is more important than for anyone else. It is not in vain, that 64.9% of respondents called the risk of the leakage of information as the main problem. Besides a large proportion of respondents felt confident that Skype is not a potential gap for the company. They relate it all to the "human factor " At the same time 66.4% of respondents said that any cases of loss of information (human factor, the loss of data, etc.) directly prevent Voip-clients form distribution at the corporate level. A high percentage of respondents do not consider problem of information loss the reason for the rejection of Skype. Since the main function of Skype is voice communication there is no need to worry about security in case the conversation goes among colleagues. But it should not be forgotten that the use of VPN and programs for the protection and encryption of data can also reduce the risk of leakage of important information.