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Are you asking if these appliances actually scan the contents of the IM itself?<br />
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These appliances will definately take action if a user clicks on the link to navigate to it (as long as the traffic flows through it).<br />
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Or are you asking if the link will be scanned on an IM conversation that was established through one of these (internal user chatting with a 3rd party)?
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Thanks for the reply, I know that both of these will kick into action if a link is clicked on, I was thinking more along the lines if there was an app or technology that can actively scan the IM.
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Just to add, it will be to scan messages sent to and from the likes of MSN, Yahoo messanger...etc. is this possible?
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I was wondering if products such as Cisco IronPort or McAfee Secure Messaging Gateway (or any other similar product) have the ability to scan links within an Instant Messanger.<br />
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My research so far has turned up nothing so I am assuming it is not possible, but am posting here as a last resort.<br />
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Thanks in advance.
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I was wondering if products such as Cisco IronPort or McAfee Secure Messaging Gateway (or any other similar product) have the ability to scan links within an Instant Messanger.

My research so far has turned up nothing so I am assuming it is not possible, but am posting here as a last resort.

Thanks in advance.

Are you asking if these appliances actually scan the contents of the IM itself?

These appliances will definately take action if a user clicks on the link to navigate to it (as long as the traffic flows through it).

Or are you asking if the link will be scanned on an IM conversation that was established through one of these (internal user chatting with a 3rd party)?

Thanks for the reply, I know that both of these will kick into action if a link is clicked on, I was thinking more along the lines if there was an app or technology that can actively scan the IM.

Just to add, it will be to scan messages sent to and from the likes of MSN, Yahoo messanger...etc. is this possible?

Scanning Links in Instant Messangers

Anti-virus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses. However, with the proliferation of other kinds of malware, antivirus software started to provide protection from other computer threats. In particular, modern antivirus software can protect from malicious browser helper objects (BHOs), browser hijackers, ransomware, keyloggers, backdoors, rootkits, trojan horses, worms, malicious layered service providers (LSPs), dialers, fraud tools, adware and spyware. Some products also include protection from other computer threats, such as infected and malicious URLs, spam, scam and phishing attacks, online identity theft (privacy), online banking attacks, social engineering techniques, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), botnets and DDoS attacks.

Anti-Virus Apps

Instant messaging (IM) is a type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the Internet. A LAN messenger operates in a similar way over a local area network. More advanced instant messaging can add file transfer, clickable hyperlinks, Voice over IP, or video chat. Non-IM types of chat include multicast transmission, usually referred to as "chat rooms". Depending on the IM protocol, the technical architecture can be peer-to-peer (direct point-to-point transmission) or client-server (a central server retransmits messages from the sender to the communication device).

Chat / IM

Security is the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. The main goal of security is protecting assets, and an asset is anything of value and worthy of protection.  Information Security is a discipline of protecting information assets from threats through safeguards to achieve the objectives of confidentiality, integrity, and availability or CIA for short. On the other hand, disclosure, alteration, and disruption (DAD) compromise the security objectives.