Instant messaging security

Abstract

Instant Messaging (IM), a popular communication system, is inevitably exposed to security attacks. With its commercial and government applications, its secure and reliable service becomes indispensable. In this chapter, we introduce IM system and its security with an emphasis on the most damaging threats of IM spam and worm. Due to the real-time nature of IM services, the existing Internet and e-mail spam and worm defense techniques are not directly applicable to IM systems; new and effective methods are urgently needed for coping with IM network security problems. After a review of the existing IM spam and worm defense approaches, we present our solutions for filtering IM spam and controlling IM worm, including smart worm. Based on the characteristics of IM system architecture and services, as well as worm spread patterns, we propose an analytical model with statistical branching process and provide a detailed analysis. As a result, we design new and effective defense procedures, including topology based tracing and quarantine and topology-aware throttling. "Introduction" contains an introduction to IM system and its security threats along with a survey of various defense methods. "Instant Messaging Spam: SPIM" is on IM spam filtering. "Instant Messaging Worm" presents a mathematical model and analysis of IM worm along with its defense mechanisms. © 2011, IGI Global.