Suppose you've decided not to allow IM on your network. Blocking these services is not as simple as filtering the port at the firewall or router. AOL's AIM can communicate on many commonly used ports, such as 21 (FTP) and 80 (HTTP). In some cases, public IM communications are wrapped inside HTTP, making them virtually indistinguishable from regular Web traffic. You'd have to block all Internet access to block AIM or any other public IM network at the port level, and that's not going to fly at most organizations.
Further, tight control of user workstations to prevent the installation of an IM client often isn't an option. And even if you can stop users from installing an IM client, there are other ways to use IM. AOL offers a Web Java applet that can be accessed though Internet Explorer.
One last in-house blocking possibility exists: You can have your DNS servers misdirect IM traffic to 127.0.0.1 or block by IP address on the firewall or Internet router. Blocking by DNS is a good choice, because the public network providers rarely change the DNS name. Sure, a savvy user might figure out what you did and use the IM servers' IP address, but blocking by DNS will deter most users. There's no guarantee that new IM servers won't pop up, though, and your team must stay on top of any changes made by the big three. You could block the entire yahoo.com, msn.com or aol.com domains as well, but that may restrict needed access beyond IM and doesn't address the smaller public networks, such as Jabber servers.
This doesn't mean all hope is lost. Several vendors offer products that detect and block IM traffic at the network level. Traffic shapers, such as Packeteer's PacketShaper, inspect all traffic and terminate or permit connections depending on your access-control rules, but this solution can be costly since you're getting full QoS (quality of service). The products from Akonix, FaceTime and IMLogic are less expensive. A blocking device will be cheaper and easier to maintain than a full intrusion-detection suite.
Many IM blocking vendors popped up in 2002 and 2003, and they've increased their application-detection capabilities, offering additional services like P2P blocking, spyware detection and content filtering. We're also expecting to see an IM client with integrated P2P support in the near future. You can bundle a few services and save big on the bottom line.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
