Instant Messaging Monitoring

                            What is instant messaging?

Instant messaging is an Internet technology that lets you receive messages, files and other data in real time.

The "instant" in instant messaging is possible because the people sending and receiving messages remain constantly connected to their IM service. Recipients get messages as fast as the data can travel across the Internet.

In order to use instant messaging, firstly you need to download instant messaging software and install it on to your computer. After the software is installed and you've registered a unique name and password with the IM provider, you log into a central server that indicates that you are available.

An Instant messaging program allows you register your details, create an account under a password, and to form a list of people with whom to communicate. You are then able to communicate with these people at any time as long as you are both logged on to that program.

Instant messaging applications such as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Instant Messenger are being used in ever-growing numbers. They've come a long way since their inception. These improvements have made instant messaging applications potentially useful, but also potentially dangerous. What are these potential dangers in instant messaging?

Children can use Instant messaging programs from mobile devices, and identity theft can occur by hackers gaining access to user profiles.

Private conversations can be started with anybody (including strangers) with many instant messaging programs.

Instant messaging provides the opportunity to release personal information in real time.

Instant messaging can be very addictive and time consuming and can get in the way of other activities. Many of the things that make instant messaging useful also make it risky. For example, most IM tools offer a method for sending and receiving file attachments. While handy, this feature is also a major point of vulnerability. IM attachments, just like email attachments can carry destructive viruses, trojan horses, and worms.

Because it's so easy to create an IM identity and make contact with people, instant messaging is also a place where online scams, identity theft, and other predatory behaviour occur. Individuals can use all sorts of devious methods including hacking into accounts and impersonating legitimate users in order to gain trust and elicit information from unwitting IM users. This is a particular danger for children, who may be approached by strangers with criminal intent.

Instant messaging has also become a target for unwelcome advertisements. Spammers are now using IM to spread their unsolicited messages. Spam sent over IM often contains offensive language or links to Web sites with content totally inappropriate for children.

Instant messaging differs from chat rooms in the sense that technically it is harder to monitor and control. Instant messenger is a separate program, whilst in order to visit chat rooms you use an ordinal web browser. Some chat room has moderators, who can keep track of conversations and be alert to any problems but Instant messenger programs are never externally monitored.

Instant messenger is usually online all the time while the computer is on and can be left unattended until a message is received. Chat rooms cannot be used in the same manner. If you switch to another task (program) and then switch back to the chat site, all messages addressed to you may be lost. As a result a child is likely to be on Instant messenger for a greater period of time, increasing the possibility of inappropriate material reaching your child through it. As it can be seen, if a child is allowed to freely use instant messaging, it could lead to a variety of problems.

The following tips can help you to make IM a safer environment for your children:

• Be sure that you child never sends credit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, or any other vital information over IM.
• Make sure your child doesn't open attachments or click on Web links sent by someone you don't know.
• Encourage children to change their passwords regularly.
• Know your children's personal online computer name and what instant messaging programs they use.
• Know the online names of the friends that your child communicates with.
• Don't let your child send/receive files over IM unless they have no other alternative, and never let them send files containing information that should be kept private.
• Have frank, open conversations with your children about safety, warning them specifically about the dangers of talking with strangers over IM.
• Make sure your family's IM profiles do not contain personal information—especially phone numbers, addresses, photos, or anything that could connect your children with their IM identities.
• Show interest in your children's online life. Get to know their online friends the same way you'd get to know their neighbourhood friends.
• Make use of commercially available blocking and monitoring software  such as Spysure.

Spysure , Instant messages monitoring software has following Internet monitoring features which helps employers to monitor and control employees internet conversation.

• Spysure, Instant messages recorder, Records all keys pressed on key board. As key logger software , it records every key pressed on key board of PC. It captures the keys with date, time and the user information. Spysure sends this detail to you in reports.

   Spysure helps to know which user has pressed the key and what key has been pressed? And what time the key has been pressed? It helps you to sort out the employee who sends secret data out.

  This recording helps the employers to view the secret keys pressed and all letters and emails send to your competitors. In this way, you can take necessary measures to protect secret and confidential data from stolen.

  For parents, Instant messages recorder , Records all chatting and emails send and received on children computer.

  Spysure, Instant messages recorder captures the screen shots of computer screen and sends you the files to your email address. As screen capturing software , this reveals the graphics and text which is being displayed on your kid’s computer screen.

  Spysure, Instant messages recorder, Records all emails and instant messages . The recorded email contains keys pressed, date, time, subject of email, body of email and the user information.

  As chatting recorder software , Spysure records the chatting messages of employees and kids to their friends and relatives.

  Spysure, Instant messages recorder, Captures the instant picture of computer screen. As an employer, you can monitor the computer screen of employee after every second remotely.

  Spysure, Instant messages recorder, Records all websites visited details. As a websites tracking software , it reveals you all websites browsed by your employees and kids including prohibited websites. This ensures child safety for your children

  Spysure also has blocking features by which you can restrict access to websites and finally block the internet totally.