ipoque PRX Traffic Managers Help to Avoid Skype 3.0 Security Risks

On November 9 the new beta version of Skype 3.0 was released. Experts keep emphasizing the vulnerabilities of the popular program, pointing out the potential security risks. In addition, the use of Skype in a corporate network significantly increases the traffic volume thus interfering with other mission-critical applications. To help companies alleviate these risks, ipoque has updated its PRX traffic managers, which are now capable of detecting and - if necessary - blocking the latest Skype version.

Leipzig, Germany (PRWEB) November 24, 2006 -- On November 9, the brand new beta version of Skype 3.0 has been released. Experts keep emphasizing the vulnerabilities of the popular program, pointing out the potential security risks. In addition, the use of Skype in a corporate network significantly increases the traffic volume thus interfering with other mission-critical applications. To help companies alleviate these risks, ipoque (www.ipoque.com) has immediately updated its PRX traffic managers, which are now able to detect and - if necessary - block the latest Skype version.

Skype is a proprietary service able to penetrate firewalls, thus bearing the risk to expose a corporate network to threats from the Internet. In addition to previous vulnerabilities, there have been Skype viruses that infect the computers of the communicating parties, including e-mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook and their address books.

"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. The announced stable release of this new version will attract many Skype users - both in private and business environments.

PRX Traffic Managers Able to Detect Skype 3.0

ipoque has reacted swiftly. With its PRX traffic managers, it offers a solution to detect Skype traffic in corporate networks, which can be selectively blocked if necessary. ipoque's short update cycle nearly instantly provides companies with protection against new versions of programs such as Skype to reliably shield their networks. The PRX traffic managers are able to detect and control application-specific network traffic generated by peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging and Voive over IP.

They operate as transparent bridges and are easy to integrate in existing network infrastructures without configuration changes. Detected network traffic can be logged, prioritized, throttled or blocked. An intuitive web interface facilitates a simple administration. Based on its layer 7 deep packet inspection technology, ipoque offers its customers control over applications that are beyond the reach of legacy firewalls and undesired or even dangerous in the corporate network.

About ipoque

ipoque has been founded in Leipzig, Germany, in the beginning of 2005. The company specializes in professional solutions for application- and user-aware traffic management and analysis. Its line of hardware traffic managers for Gigabit and Fast Ethernet allows an effective control of undesired network applications. These include file sharing in peer-to-peer networks (P2P), instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) including the popular Skype. In addition to the bandwidth management, all network traffic can be captured and analyzed in real-time. ipoque offers its customers consultancy services and the development of individual traffic management and analysis solutions based on its standard products. ipoque's customers comprise enterprises of all sizes, public and educational institutions and Internet service providers.

More information at www.ipoque.com.

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