Overview of Instant Messaging Security

Instant Messaging supports the following levels of security:

• No Security. Communication is all plain text from client through the multiplexor to the server.

• Legacy SSL. Secure communication between client and multiplexor, and plain text between multiplexor and server. (This is only relevant if you are using the multiplexor).

• startTLS. End-to-end secure communication between client and server. If you enable the multiplexor, it does not process any data but instead passes it on to the server.

The startTLS option enables end-to-end encryption (the communication between client-multiplexor-server is all in encryption form), while legacy SSL enables encryption between the Instant Messenger client up to the multiplexor: the communication between multiplexor and server is in plain text (though in a proprietary protocol). Use startTLS if you require a higher level of security. If you use startTLS, you do not need an alternate means of securing the multiplexor-to-server communication (it will be secure).