Sick of Email Spam? What Options Do You Have?

Email spam is a huge problem for businesses – there’s not only the lost time spent in dealing with it, but the potential security risks it can cause. Literally billions are lost worldwide per annum through email spam according to Basex, a New York-based IT consultancy. Little wonder then, that organizations are urgently seeking innovative, robust and reliable solutions which can address their growing email dependence and security needs.

There are two main options for network administrators to choose from:

• In-house email archiving systems – this requires the separate purchase of all hardware and software and installation to the data centre. Upfront costs are therefore higher, but the advantage is that organizations have control over email storage and retrieval and this is a speedier option.
• Hosted email archiving system: where the organization’s email data is sent via secure connection to an off-site service provider which manages indexing and storage remotely. This is usually less expensive, but confidential information is handed over to a third party.

The urgent need to find a suitable email system has increased since Google’s announcement in 2012 that Postini Migration systems would be moved. Network managers have increasingly been searching for a suitable replacement which will provide minimum complexity and a maximum security solution for their email requirements.

Mimecast can provide a method of protecting against deliberate and accidental data leaks, outages and social engineering attacks by managing inbound and outbound email traffic.

Enhanced functionality and ongoing support puts more tools at the fingertips of end users. It further offers stringent privacy control and availability SLAs as well as flexible encryption facilities to enhance email server delivery.

Superior email security enables end users to manage their secure email gateways via a safe and blocked senders list. It also gives the chance to monitor health information, payment and card processing via Microsoft Outlook.

Network managers can service data security and privacy obligations by enabling users to manage their secure email gateway. This allows protection against in-bound and outbound email threats, as well as malware, spam, phishing, DHA & DDoS attacks. It also protects against deliberate or accidental data leaks, outages and social engineering attacks.

The email system also provides protection against email viruses using an Email Security Cloud which helps protect organizations from email-borne viruses, malware, spam, phishing, targeted attacks and bulk email attacks, reducing the complexities of on-site technology.

Advantages

• Email Security Cloud
• Virus protection
• Bulk email attack protection
• Complexity reduction
• Granular email policy setting
• Active directory secure synchronisation
• Blocking
• Holding
• Hold pending
• Closed-circuit messaging

Closed-circuit messaging (CCM) puts the control right back in the hands of the user by using Mimecast Personal Protocol. Messages are retained by the system and the recipient is notified and can then log into MPP to access their message.

MPP allows network managers to control sensitive information and limit the number of days that the message is available. A centrally managed granular policy is possible and messages can be identified using CCM policies for delivery without users ever having to learn new procedures. This enables a seamless email secure communication system to be achieved.

Administrators can also view the forensic information of emails and determine how the message was delivered by using the delivery transmission information. The advantage of closed circuit messaging is that it provides complete security allowing encryption on Transport Layer Security System (TLSS).

CCM enables the user to view emails through a secure online portal and prevents emails being forwarded in order to further increase security. Users can replace attachments with links to files securely hosted, thus providing unrivalled security.

Granular permissions enables IT departments to customise permission controls to each user level, enabling IT teams to maintain control of default settings and provide greater flexibility and simplicity during roll out for IT techs and end users. There is huge potential for end users to have the ability to encrypt their own messages or even send an email as a closed-circuit one, providing the ultimate peace of mind.

If you want a system which offers all the advantages and controls – which conventional email systems lack – then using a cloud system will substantially reduce your costs in both time management, security threats and complexity and is well worth considering.