IM Providers Back IMlogic 'Threat Center'

With the growing threat of viruses via instant messaging, IMlogic announced Wednesday the IMlogic Threat Center to serve as a one-stop clearinghouse for virus information for its users. The first-of-its-kind project received the blessing of all the major IM providers plus two anti-virus companies, McAfee and Sybari.

IMlogic will provide a knowledge base containing detection, analysis, alert, and protection details for IM-borne viruses, worms and spim. Messaging giants Microsoft, Yahoo! and AOL have backed the initiative.

IMlogic CEO Francis deSouza saw the increasing threat to IM security as a top priority for his company. "Instant Messaging is a global communications medium and increasingly is becoming a target for viruses, worms, and blended-threats," deSouza said. "We are leading the industry to protect enterprises and consumers from emerging IM and P2P threats."

The Threat Center will be freely available to anyone on the Internet at IMlogic's Web site. Users will also be able to subscribe to updates via e-mail, which will be sent as soon as new threats appear.