Securing instant messaging is mandate

For all the good that instant messaging can do for an enterprise--speeding up communication and decision-making and allowing collaborative discussion in real-time--it's clearly got its downsides, as tech leaders well know. Viruses spread faster in IM, and the messaging application can be tricky to support if there isn't a standard application and policy use in place. The goal is to realize that IM has to be managed and cared for just like any other software application that IT has deployed. The first step is finding out how it's being used in your organization and what it's being used for by staffers. Then it's time to decide what to standardize on and what IM functionalities the application must provide the user base. And given the increasing threats coming through the IM channel you might also want to plop in a specific IM security tool before unleashing the messaging application.

For more on a good instant messaging strategy:
- read this CSO article