Instant messaging (IM) offers all the speed and convenience of email, with real-time interaction AND brings ALL of the risks and pitfalls of email (and more)! You'll soon find "SPIM" (unsolicited offers like email spam) coming up on your screen. And messages, links and files coming "from" your friends as well as strangers. Some virus infections even use an "away message" to spread.

Arrival is NOT authentication: just because a message says it is from a friend doesn't mean it did come from them, or that their computer isn't hijacked and sending messages to infect your computer.

Never IM from a server, or a machine with protected data (eg. FERPA, HIPAA), and always make sure use of IM tools is allowed in your department's policies.

Use the security features on your instant messaging tool to restrict messaging to only be with people on your buddy list, and to prevent downloads or uploads. See http://www.smu.edu/help/resources/imconfig.asp for examples of settings.