Re: Using Web mail (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc) for Business mails

My personal opinion is as follows.

The risk of webmails as business emails, is at a maximum risk BUT ALL EMAIL IS, regardless if its webmail. The answer in my mine is dependant on what level of security you want. There are many layers of security levels.

No email without encryption, (see pgp below) be it on your own server, a hosting companies, or a company like gmail, or webmail is safe.

No email is safe.... PERIOD.

Why ?

With the US Intelligence communities aquisition of communication pipelines, through project Echelon, it is clear that no communication is ever going to be safe as long as we have intelligence communites like the CIA. With the CIA's blatent failure to detect one of the largest tragjedy's in history (9-11) why do we even need them anyways?

Project Echelon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON

Also communication spying is probably scanned by some type of cia google search engine, to sort this massive amount of information, it would be as easy as googling email for the US intelligence communities. What types of security risks are here, that are not monitored? How is the CIA, NSA and other organizations like this, monitored for corruption. The answer is, they are not and never will be until we eliminate them.

So the risk, depends on your level of security you are looking for. Then there are other layers of risk, like staff from companies like google webmail, from encryption in between (sniffers), from crackers, and then layers of small time hackers.

With PGP (pretty good privacy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGP which very few use, there is only one real layer of protection against all spying and communication fraud.

Until people start using it, and until its intiated on webmail servers, initiated in ALL EMAIL, email will never be safe.

Think your email is safe? Read about echelon, it only gets worse after that :)

Kelly Sigethy
Frynge.com
http://www.frynge.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Murda Mcloud" <murdamcloud@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <sfmailsbm@xxxxxxxxx>; <security-basics@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 7:12 PM
Subject: RE: Using Web mail (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc) for Business mails



At some point email leaves 'your control' and goes out across the wild blue
yonder; this is where encryption comes in.

One of the risks of using webmail is that it bypasses any gateway filters
you may have so one layer of defense is taken away. If you do have some kind
of corporate encryption scheme in place and are sending business email via
gmail then it won't be part of that scheme.
-----Original Message-----
From: listbounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:listbounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of sfmailsbm@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 4:00 PM
To: security-basics@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Using Web mail (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc) for Business mails

Dear List,

It is a common practice among users to user their personal email accounts
like hotmail, gmail, etc to send & receive business (and most probably
confidential) information

This is particularly the case when users are out of office

These webmails are not under the company's control, and hence there is a
risk of information loss. However upto now we have not heard of any such
cases

Wanted to get the opinion of the list on the security risks of the use of
Webmails for business mails

Thanks & regards

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EARN A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE - ONLINE
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This list is sponsored by: Norwich University

EARN A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE - ONLINE
The NSA has designated Norwich University a center of Academic Excellence in Information Security. Our program offers unparalleled Infosec management education and the case study affords you unmatched consulting experience. Using interactive e-Learning technology, you can earn this esteemed degree, without disrupting your career or home life.

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