New technology demands email security policies

Contributed by Roumiana Deltcheva (Mercredi, 01 septembre 2010) | Category : Email security

According to IT Business Edge blogger John Storts, the adoption of new technologies, such as cloud computing and social media, require companies to develop comprehensive email security and retention policies.

In 2010, a number of large companies have experienced substantial data breaches despite advice from security experts to implement precautions. According to Storts, organizations need to make more efforts to inform employees of the risks of data breaches and the security policies in place within the organization.

For example, using websites such as Facebook and Twitter while in the office can result in phishing attacks or malware infiltrating a corporate network. Employees need to understand these risks, and it's imperative that the IT staff or other security administrators inform them of the potential consequences.

Storts recommends clearly spelling out security and use policies for company email and strictly prohibiting the use of personal email services to conduct file transfers for company data. Outbound content filtering is also advised to avoid inappropriate language or the disclosure of confidential corporate information.

Addressing issues quickly is also important - even for companies with the most complete security protocol. Investment bank Piper Jaffray was fined more than $700,000 earlier this year for failing to archive emails over a six-year span.