Messaging Security

The risk of messages containing viruses and the potential damage they may cause to systems is widely known today. In addition spam mail, phishing schemes have also become a threat to many organizations systems and mail users. Another potential risk with messaging is that confidential information may be leave your organization via email.

To combat viral messages, antivirus software is recommended at client computers as well as messaging servers. To protect against spam, a mail server administrator can take actions such as tagging and quarantining suspicious messages while utilizing anti-spam engines.

To prevent information leakage via messaging, the common practice is message archiving. Simply informing all mail users that all sent/received messages are archived could be deterrent and expected to reduce the risk of information leakage. Another practice is by content filtering. Depending on organization's requirement, filter for specific keywords on messaging content, attachment, etc. and take actions such as denying message delivery, or forward to designated mailbox instead, etc.

Such messaging security solution can be implemented at different levels. 1. Hosted environment level (eliminate viruses and malware at Hosted environment, before messages reach company mail server). Example is Websense Hosted Email Security service. 2. Mail server level. Example is Antivirus/Anti-spam/content filtering feature of Exchange Server 2007, Symantec Mail Security, etc. 3. Client PC level.

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