Bantu, VeriSign offer secure IM software

Bantu plans to offer instant messaging with digital certificates from VeriSign. Bantu, which already bills its product as "secure," said the certificates would add another layer of security. The certificates will let people sending and receiving instant messages verify the identity of their correspondents and encrypt messages. Secure instant messaging has gained a high profile in recent months after the exposure of one chief executive's IM logs. Companies both small and large have released secure IM software or made plans to do so.