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Ipoque Updates Skype Blocker |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Monday, 27 November 2006 |
The cat and mouse game between Skype developers and those
who would block the peer-2-peer program continues with German traffic
management company, ipoque, releasing an updated version of its tool to answer
changes in Skype version 3.0.
The two year old ipoque develops hardware-based traffic
management solutions with a special emphasis on blocking peer-to-peer file
sharing programs, instant messaging applications and Voice over IP traffic
such as Skype.
Used by companies who fear the uncontrolled use of such
programs can have a negative impact on bandwidth control and security in the enterprise,
the company's PRX traffic managers, offer a solution to detect these types of traffic
in corporate networks and selectively block it if required.
The devices operate as transparent bridges and are easy to
integrate in existing network infrastructures without configuration changes.
Detected network traffic can be logged, prioritised,
throttled or blocked based on layer 7 deep packet inspection technology.
Identifying and blocking Skype traffic on corporate networks
is difficult as the proprietary protocols and encryption methods used by Skype
to bypass traditional firewall security makes it a slippery customer.
This difficulty is compounded with each new release of the
Skype client software as the company typically changes its traffic signatures making
previous filtering and control methods redundant.
"Changes in the Skype 3.0 client probably have been
made as an answer to detection mechanisms recently implemented by various
vendors", says Klaus Degner, Chief Software Architect of ipoque.
In order to keep up with these changes, company's like ipoque
have to respond to each new version. Until Skype admits that corporate network administrators
should have the right to dictate what traffic is on their networks, this
situation is likely to continue despite the P2P VoIP provider's attempts to win
over corporate users with administrative tools.
ipoque says that while experts keep emphasising Skype's vulnerabilities,
pointing out the potential security risks and while the program continues an
unrestrained approach to bandwidth utilisation,, companies will have to turn to
products such as PRX to alleviate the perceived risks.
www.ipoque.com
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