resource center
  See your link here
|
A lawyer who advises companies on OFAC compliance said that while offering communications services such as IM to sanctioned countries such as Iran or Cuba is not restricted by OFAC, offering software is. That's because software, even free apps downloadable from the Internet, are considered exportable goods, and thus can be banned by OFAC, according to the lawyer, who requested anonymity.
By that reasoning, Web-based e-mail such as gMail or Windows Live HotMail can't be banned by OFAC, he said. Nor would pure cloud-based services such as Salesforce.com or those hosted by Amazon.com's EC2 be affected by the ban.
However, Windows Live Messenger, which relies on a user download, can be, he said.
The rules are fairly strict. "You can't even send a pen or pencil to people in those countries," he said.
The lawyer said that OFAC has "been focusing efforts towards Internet and Internet-related activities in recent years." In 2003, online job search provider Monster deleted job postings and client resumes for residents in seven countries after a company review of OFAC compliance rules. In 2007, OFAC fined online travel agency Travelocity.com nearly $200,000 for booking trips from the U.S. to Cuba for five years.
The bans are unlikely to stop techie or resourceful citizens in banned countries from logging into these IM services, though.
Middle Eastern tech news site ITP.net reported earlier this week that Syrian residents were getting around the ban by simply changing their country/region in their Microsoft Web accounts.
Another simple potential workaround is to use one of many third-party instant messaging clients or Web sites that allow users to connect to multiple IM services, including Windows Live Messenger.
Still another, more technical, workaround is for residents of affected countries to hide their IP address by connecting through a proxy server first. Such services are already used by those interested in protecting their privacy online.
Read more about internet applications in Computerworld's Internet Applications Knowledge Center.
Technical Report: NetApp Solutions Guide
Learn how to design and architect a scalable Microsoft application solution.
The Workday User Experience Video
Watch Workday's Creative Director, Scott Lietzke, discuss the business-centered design philosophy at Workday.
Windows 7 Migration Solutions from VMware
Simplify Windows 7 OS Migration with VMware View.
Virtualize Microsoft Applications on VMware
Register for this live webcast now!
Vmware View with PCoIP
Learn the functionality of VMware View with PCoIP. Read now!
A Unified Approach to Application Performance
Watch this webcast today!
Application Delivery Lowers Costs, Improves Business
The key to growing IT and the business lies in moving applications.
Aligning IT to Business: The Rising Importance of Application Delivery Networks
Application Delivery Networking (ADN) will play a vital role in helping enterprises incorporate strategic technologies to achieve business initiatives.
Moving Beyond Monolithic White Paper
What's next for enterprise application architecture? Learn Now.
Preparing Your Business Services for the Future
Would you trust your network monitoring tools enough to know when something is truly halting a business service?
Sign up to receive Computerworld newsletters on your favorite technology topics
Disaster Recovery & Cost Savings Zone
Thousands of customers world-wide have turned to virtualization solutions from Riverbed as a way to reduce costs.
CIO
Computerworld
CSO
DEMO
GamePro
Games.net
IDC
IDG
IDG Connect
IDG Knowledge Hub
IDG TechNetwork
IDG Ventures
IDG.net
InfoWorld
ITwhitepapers
ITworld
JavaWorld
LinuxWorld
Macworld
Network World
PC World
The Industry Standard
Copyright © 1994 - 2010 Computerworld Inc. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission ofComputerworld Inc. is prohibited. Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are trademarks of International Data Group Inc. |
