infoTECH Feature

March 13, 2012

Today's Sophisticated E-mail Attacks Call for Stringent Security Protocols

In today’s Internet era, it’s safe to say having your e-mail hacked or breached is almost the equivalent of someone obtaining access to your secret journal or diary: Both contain integral and private insights into daily interactions pertaining to other people, scheduled events, personal and business transactions, and oftentimes personal matters.

When it comes to business, however, guaranteeing your e-mail server is safe from potential hacks has become more important than ever before. It’s no secret that e-mail is the gateway that makes it possible for business professionals to communicate with clients, prospective customers and colleagues in order to complete processes and deliver products and services. Better yet, according to a recent study, e-mail has risen to the forefront of business’s customer contact strategy as the primary method for collaboration.

E-mail marketing companies – whose primary task is to market a message to a group of people using e-mail – are one such business model relying solely on e-mail, meaning a security breach can be extremely detrimental to their goals and processes. In a recent study of agency-side e-mail marketers, it was found that nearly half of those surveyed admitted to not having any policies in place to safeguard against data breaches. Even worse, a mere 2 percent of both client-side and supply-side respondents ranked data security as a priority for 2012.

Unfortunately, while technologies like e-mail have made it easier for businesses to collaborate and generate content, this has also sparked opportunities for cyber criminals. As detailed in a recent study from Web security company McAffee, 80 percent of respondents said they have encountered large-scale attacks and network infiltration – a number extremely disparate from the 50 percent figure recorded only three years ago.

Luckily, with the hype that has surrounded data breaches over the last several years, the importance of securing e-mail servers has come to the forefront, which is why today’s biggest e-mail platforms – like Microsoft (News - Alert) Exchange Server – are putting forth standards to ensure secure communications. Heeding this call, Exchange Server 2010, just like Exchange Server 2007, makes SSL certificates mandatory. These small data files bind together information like domain names, organization identities and locations in order to enable secure connections from a Web server to a browser.

The idea behind SSL certificates can be complex, which is why services like VeriSign Authentication Services from Symantec (News - Alert) are armed to do the heavy lifting so customers are promised peace of mind when it comes to protecting identities, securing transactions, and, of course, preventing e-mail breaches. As a guide for doing so, Symantec has produced a white paper entitled “Best Practices for Securing Your E-mail Server with SSL Certificates and Subject Alternative Lines,” to teach Exchange Server users how to pick, purchase, manage and get started with SSL certificates. Click here to download this informative white paper.




Edited by Carrie Schmelkin
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