spam through instant messaging (Spim)

Spams through instant messaging are referred to as spims. Spammers have thus opened up another area of application for their unsolicited advertising messages or unsolicited communications. In addition to spams and spam phone calls, spits, there are also instant messaging spams (spims).

Spims evolved from the presence technology of instant messaging. With presence technology, any Internet user could determine if another subscriber was online. As it evolved further, users could receive messages from acquaintances in real time in a pop-up window. Spimmers, as spim-generating individuals are known, use this feature to send spams. The spimmers get their information from user directories created by many instant messaging programs. It is therefore important that no purely private information is stored in these directories and that care is taken not to publish instant messaging user names on websites.

If companies use presence management and unified instant messaging( IM) on servers and clients, the risk of spims can be eliminated because the manufacturers provide secure configuration mechanisms.