Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Research Group Pushes to Ban Skype

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the only-as-secure-as-you-make-it dept.

cowmix writes "Hot on the heals of Skype being purchased by Ebay, a research group called Info-Tech just put out a recommendation to its customers that all corporations should ban the use of Skype on their networks. The reports sites a laundry list of issues it feels plagues Skype, most of which will have a familiar ring (ie the normal anti-IM and P2P talking points). Will this cool Skype's rapid progress into the business arena?"

2 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Non-issue really by aussie_a · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Companies that are already banning peer-to-peer applications, such as instant messaging, should add Skype to its list of unsanctioned software programs

    Well no shit, sherlock. If a company feels that IM software (such as AIM or MSN) is a security risk, then of course they should consider Skype a security risk. It's called consistency. This is really a non-issue. New messaging program comes out (which in a way, is what Skype is), companies that ban other messaging programs add it to their ban list. Those that don't ban messaging programs, don't.

    This is pretty much a non-article. And it won't slow the proliferation of Skype in the business world, because I doubt companies that banned other IM programs, really needed Info-Tech to tell them to add Skype to the list (I'm sure Info-Tech is just doing it to be consistent as well).

  2. Flawed analysis by d_jedi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    - Skype is not standards-compliant, allowing it and any vulnerability to
                  pass through corporate firewalls.

    And how would this be different if Skype was standards compliant?

            - Skype's encryption is closed source and prone to man-in-the-middle
                  attacks. There are also some unanswered questions about how well the
                  keys are managed.

    Ooh.. closed source is evil! By this logic, Info-Tech should recommend banning Windows (to the delight, I'm sure, of many /.ers)

            - Enterprises using Skype risk a communication barrier with countries
                  and institutions that have already banned the service.

    Is this a joke? I dunno about you, but I haven't seen any companies completely give up.. what's that thing?.. the telephone in favour of Skype..

    Skype is a useful tool. That's all I've got to say about that.

    --
    I am the maverick of Slashdot