RE: Skype & IPS vendor claims

["Rong-Tai Liu" <tie () broadweb com tw>]

BroadWeb's IPS is able to block Skype entirely and control its service
(voice, video, file transfer, chat) seperately in the same time. 

Our customers tend to use our IPS to block the "file transfer" function of
skype, and still allow the voice communication. They don't want virus/worms
get into the internal netwokrs through the "file transfer" path of IM
applications and Skype, but they also like their employee to use the VoIP
function to cut the cost.

BroadWeb uses mainly behavior analysis and few signatures to identify Skype
and its features. Currently we support up to Skype version 2.0.1.107 (seems
to be the latest one).

Best Regards,
 
Terence R.T. Liu, Ph.D.
-----------------------------------------
R&D Division
BroadWeb Corporation
E-mail: tie () broadweb com tw
Web Site: http://www.broadweb.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Basgen, Brian [mailto:bbasgen () pima edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 6:03 AM
To: focus-ids () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: Skype & IPS vendor claims

Dan,

 I think the relevant snippet of the ULA is: "Skype Software may utilize the
processor and bandwidth of the computer (or other applicable device) you are
utilizing, for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between
Skype Software users."

 In other words, they may use your computer and bandwidth to help other
people communicate. This is part of what makes Skype both a good and bad
product: its Peer to Peer nature. Instead of having a central server that
routes traffic, peers on the network do that work. 

 Hence, for users with a fat pipe to the internet, they may want to think
twice about giving Skype the okay to use as much of that pipe as they need.
Home users likely won't and don't need to care, and frankly a lot of
organizations are okay with this kind of thing, if for no other reason than
the impact is possibly minimal. If your organization, however, wants to know
and control internet data flows, then peer to peer technology is going to
make your job very difficult.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian Basgen
IT Systems Architect, Security
Pima Community College
 


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