With the state of the world currently in turmoil and the increase of cyber-terrorism, how do you keep your email system safe from cracking, hacking and phishing attempts? Ideal email management isnt always possible but with email business-critical, IT managers need to take every precaution possible which still ensuring the flow of information continues to end users.
In an ideal world, email is a closed system. Nothing gets in that isnt already in there and nothing leaks out. The data is secure, checked and encrypted between all points. All points are secured and downtime is minimised in an ideal email world. Nothing is a mystery in a closed email environment and everything is safe. Unfortunately we dont live in an ideal world and thats where danger and cyber terrorism get introduced.
The email world has a number of issues that in over two decades have not been able to be solved including spoofing. Spoofing is where an email seems to come from one user and is actually coming from someone completely different. Part of the problem if this is a lack of reverse DNS lookup challenges happening at a server level. As the email connects if a server did a reverse IP check on email, all spoofed email would fail and be stopped in its tracks and so would a large percentage of legitimate email because the internet does not exist in an ideal universe.
Email archiving would show a list of legitimate emails stopped due to poorly configured MX records.
Cyber terrorism and
email security is an important element os every IT network. Spoofing a known user or a seemingly trusted site like Paypal or eBay and getting a user to enter details, or taking unsuspecting users to a website which inserts malicious code on to their machine is a serious issue for all IT managers as they work with managing email systems which work for users and the needs of the IT department to keep users safe. Malicious code is no longer just being used to steal peoples details to steal money identities are being stolen and tunnels into secure sites created enabling terrorists to spread their messages through unsuspecting third parties, making them participants in terrorist activities.
Given the current war on terror and the heightened state of terrorist alert in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, IT managers are clamping down on email security with users being issues stern warnings about not opening anything they do not trust but also alerting users that anyone could be an unsuspecting victim of a terrorist attack and thus even trusted people could have their mail compromised and to trust the IT system when it blocks emails. Ensuring a tightly controlled and secure system is in place is vital.
Another way terrorists are hitting companies is through data leaks. By gaining access through security holes, they are removing key data and also sabotaging systems, leaving some businesses unable to function. It is not just through a virus destroying data that business can be lost but through an unintended intruder gaining access and removing key data, leaving deleted files and lost work behind. Ensuring an off-site email archive then becomes a lifeline and ensures emails which have been wiped out due to terrorism or just malicious hacking can be recovered,
Terrorism through email will never go away and nor will fraud. These are a part of life and the IT managers job simply includes being a security expert, email continuity master, management guru and all-around system superman. While it may seem trivial, email security is a difficult, challenging, constantly evolving target which is difficult for email management to hit however with the right system it is a challenge which is easily conquered.
