10 Email Security Lessons To Be Learned From Climategate
With climate change critics using hacked emails to discredit scientists ahead of COP15, eWEEK looks at what IT managers and security administrators can do to protect their own inboxes
6. There can be no chinks in the armor
If just one person at an organisation doesn’t engage in safe security policies, emails, sensitive client information and other data can easily slip out. And the worst part is, it won’t be just that single employee’s information leaving the confines of the company. With a chink in that security armor, companies will have a significantly increased likelihood of facing stolen data across the operation.
7. Trust doesn’t play well with email
Users cannot trust much when it comes to email. Sure, there might be a nice email in the inbox from a family member requesting information, but immediately trusting that that family member sent the email is not smart. Every email opened and every email responded to should be vetted to ensure that the content is true and free from security issues. It’s not an easy task, for sure, but blindly trusting the content of an email quickly leads to security problems.
8. Remember the anti-malware
It’s also important for email users to use anti-malware software. If and when security issues arise on a user’s PC, all kinds of bad things can follow. Some outbreaks specifically target email accounts in the hope that sensitive information can be “phoned home” to the malicious user’s server. With the help of anti-malware software, some of those problems can be caught before they wreak havoc. Once again, it’s not a guaranteed solution, but it will help.
9. Companies need an email policy
In the enterprise, it’s extremely important for companies to have a thorough email security policy. Employees should know what is in that policy, and they should follow every last bit of it. If they don’t, they need to be held accountable. Email is a hotbed for security issues. If a company isn’t adequately prepared to confront those issues, sensitive information both in email and on the PC could leak out.
10. Plan for the worst
As bad as it may sound, it’s important for users to think about the worst-case scenario and plan for that to happen. Email is one of the best ways for malicious hackers to access sensitive information. With a disaster plan in place, companies and individuals will know how to respond to issues if and when they arise. And with a proper understanding of email security and a desire to keep information safe, many of the problems that the climate scientists faced can be eliminated. It just takes time. And a plan.
