Evil Corporate security blocking MSN Messenger

woo

there are always ways round things..

MonkeySaving?

cheesy.mike wrote:

Companies that block it are either uneducated or shortsighted.

Mike

I install firewalls and the perimeter systems that block stuff like this. Any sort of IM is a massive security hole in a companies network not just from a Virii/Malware perspective but also from a legality aspect.
I'm sure if you think about what can be transferred via IM i.e illegal MP3's EXE's etc then you can understand why the vast majority of respectable companies block it (externally at least) for their employees.
As has previously been mentioned the computer is provided by the company for you to do your work, it's not yours and trying to bypass any systems in place that prevent access to certain website etc is likely to be seen as gross misconduct..in fact only last week i was helping an IT manager analyse some logs from an internal user who was using a proxy tunneler to bypass a certain web analyser product, suffice to say that person was fired early this week.
Take the risk by all means although if the perimeter systems have been set up correctly then it's very difficult to bypass.
Ask yourself, is it really worth potentially losing your job, just because you can't chat with someone on MSN?

[Deleted User]

Hmm, fair nuff, i guess i'll just have to install skype on my gf's home PC so we can chat. They don't appear to have blocked AIM or skype.

Plus she can phone her aunt in Oz.

MonkeySaving?

ringo_24601 wrote:

Hmm, fair nuff, i guess i'll just have to install skype on my gf's home PC so we can chat. They don't appear to have blocked AIM or skype.

Plus she can phone her aunt in Oz.

What about e-mail? If you don't abuse it and assuming your company doesn't have a policy on personal e-mails you should be fine

nickmack

woo wrote:

there are always ways round things..

True, Although as monkeysaving says, doing do is often gross misconduct.

The fact is most people don't *need* to speak to their mates on messenger services during working hours. Some people may say they are entitled to use their lunchtime or after hours, but as already mentioned it is still a security risk.

Employees often think they're being repressed and that the company is simply doing it because they think they'll chat instead of working, but the reality is, the security aspect has far more serious consequences.

As most people in the IT industry know, users are generally inquisitive without knowledge which is a dangerous thing. I'm sure businesses would be more leniant if they could enforce into your contract a clause that stated you had to reimburse the company the £10,000's lost revenue through the employees introduction of a virus to the network.

[Deleted User]

Email isn't especially instant and it doesn't allow for conversation. Normally I just give her a ring on a corporate phone... ha, block that IT department (i'm sure they will one day)

UPDATE: Spoke to one of said IT guys, apparently some software called websense was installed at the weekend. He did inform me which instant messenger's it didn't block

Gadge_2

Skype uses port 80 alongside normal web traffic, so if they have blocked the messenger ports try that

nickmack

ts_aly2000 wrote:

The work hard-play hard mentality has been thottled by the throat.

It still applies in quite a few jobs, it's just some people only embrace one half of it!!

[Deleted User]

Agh! they're taking my fun away! I can't access https://www.youtube.com or https://www.pandora.com ... what am i going to listen too now?

Thank god they've not found this site yet to block...