I don't know about you, but I don't think I could work successfully without instant messaging. In an average day, I instant message with colleagues, contractors, vendors, and contacts throughout the industry. I'm not alone--survey after survey shows that employees are hooked on instant messaging as a way to keep in touch. From a security standpoint, of course, instant messaging comes with a pile of caveats. The open feeling that makes instant messaging so useful also makes it a huge security risk. The free and open dialogue it promotes can be antithetical to complying with regulatory separation between departments. Network Computing technology editor Mike DeMaria got together to talk about the possibilities and problems of using instant messaging in the enterprise. You can hear the podcast here.

It's the new year, and I have a huge backlog of interviews to get into podcasts, as well as a look back at 2005. Get ready for some rapid-fire podcasts as I work through the stack and get some solid information coming your way.

If you you haven't already subscribed to the podcast, look around this page, you'll find the link to subscribe to the Security Channel podcast. In addition, I'd like to ask a favor. Take a minute to drop me a note at cfranklin@cmp.com, and let me know what you'd like to hear in future podcasts. A podcast can be short or long, serious or amusing, hands-on or quite strategic. Let me know what you'd like to listen to, and we'll do our best to make it happen.