You need to implement effective email encryption software in your business for additional security, but you don’t know much about email security encryption. Security is a critical component of email encryption policy. That's why you need to understand how it works.

Your business requires that you keep sensitive information secure, such as financial statements or patient information. To help you learn about enterprise email encryption, you can find plenty of resources, such as email encryption providers or white papers. Here are three ways to obtain email encryption education and training:

1. Rely on white papers or webcasts to understand encryption for email.

2. Understand encryption for email by listening to podcasts.

3. Read user’s guides to understand encryption for email.

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Become familiar with company email encryption through white papers or webcasts

White papers and webcasts are great educational tools to help you learn about email encryption software. For example, you may want to learn about email encryption policy and how you should implement it in your organization. There are white papers and webcasts that will focus on this topic. White papers may include real-world examples so that you can understand how email encryption solutions have improved the company's communication policies.

I recommend: SecurityFocus provides white papers on email and data encryption. You will learn how to keep private information secure. BusinessHound also offers webcasts on email security encryption, in which you learn how to keep highly sensitive information secure, such as financial statements or patient information.

Listen to podcasts to get email encryption education and training

Do you own an iPod or MP3 player? You can get email encryption education and training on the go. Listen to speakers talk about how to select the right email encryption solution for your organization. Another topic you can listen to is how to make sure that email encryption policies are enforced in your company.

I recommend: Cisco provides podcasts on email encryption; listen to the podcast to learn how you to choose the right email encryption solution for your business. PGP also offers podcasts on email encryption, involving privacy or information security.

Learn about email with encryption by relying on user's manuals

User's manuals provide step-by-step instructions on how to set up email encryption software. You'll get an in-depth education on how email encryption software works. For example, you'll learn how email encryption software uses complex mathematical formulas to scramble and descramble data.

I recommend: NetAction has a user’s guide that focuses on email encryption software. It covers general areas, such as the software's features, what makes it works, and to how to find out if it’s legal. Hermetic Systems also offers a user’s manual that shows how to do the following: setting up a key, sending encrypted email messages, and decrypting email messages when you receive them.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When setting up email encryption policy, make sure you identify the kinds of information you want encrypted. Consider consulting with a lawyer to ensure you protect all of your confidential information.

Company email encryption keeps sensitive information private, prevents an individual from tampering with the contents of messages and authenticates the identity of the sender and recipient. A wider range of encryption solutions also encrypt files of all types as well as information in storage.

Email and instant messaging play a mission-critical role in your business. The more you rely on these technologies, the more open you are to risks, both internal and external. Whether you are developing a new email encryption policy or updating your company standards, easy-to-use email encryption is increasingly important to meet a wide variety of privacy and data protection regulations that now apply to industries of all sizes.

If your company needs email encryption, consider the following:

1. What platform you will be loading the encryption software on?

2. Do you need simple encryption for email, or full document encryption with storage encryption as well?

3. Will you load the enterprise email encryption software on your company's servers or use an email encryption hosted server?

Action Steps
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Consider hosted email encryption solutions

Hosted email encryption solutions will benefit your company by providing robust bandwidth, built-in redundancy, timely upgrades and knowledgable support from expert support technicians. Compare the extent of service, the support terms, guarantees of up-time and, of course, cost.

I recommend: For an email encryption hosted service, purchase either Microsoft Exchange Hosted Email or the more robust Microsoft Exchange Hosted Service for reliable and full-service email encryption solutions. Consider LiveOffice Encryption services, or contact a LiveOffice sales representative to purchase.

Purchase your own email encryption software

Your own IT personnel can load encryption software onto your company servers. This gives you flexibility when making changes to configurations, and may be more cost effective than a hosted service. Be sure to compare not only pricing, but the features of each program, as well as whether the software will easily expand with your business as it grows.

I recommend: For email encryption software, download a demo of Symantec's encryption product, or choose between two levels of encryption solutions from TrustTone Communications Inc.

Know the laws when using email security encryption software

There are important laws and regulations around encryption of email, especially when exporting. These laws may affect you if your business sends mass market emails to restricted countries.

I recommend: Carefully read the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security's commercial encryption export controls to fully understand the laws. Read the Bureau of Industry and Security's fact sheet as well.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget encryption for removable hard drives and laptops. These devices are especially susceptible to security threats because of their portability and your company email encryption policy should extend to them.

Businesses often send confidential and important information via email. To keep this information secure, many businesses opt to invest in email encryption options. Email encryption works to keep messages from being intercepted and read by parties to which the email was not addressed. There are many key terms and concepts related to the industry of email encryption. In order to properly utilize email encryption, you need to familiarize yourself and your staff with the most basic and popular of these key terms.

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Public key cryptography

The distinguishing characteristic of public key cryptography is the use of its asymmetric key algorithms. It is used to help protect and secure communications and can be used to create digital certificates. The key used to encrypt the communication is not the same one which is used to decrypt the communication message.

I recommend: Sun.com offers an introduction to public key cryptology as utilized in email encryption processes.

Asymmetric encryption

Also known as public key encryption, asymmetric encryption uses two keys to secure the information in the email. The key used to encrypt the information can be copied, but the key used to decrypt the information cannot. Together, these two keys are referred to as the key pair of the asymmetric encryption process.

I recommend: TheEmailAdmin.com offers a review of asymmetric encryption including the fundamental aspects of this type of email encryption.

Symmetric encryption

Unlike asymmetric encryptions, which use two keys to encrypt email communication messages, symmetric encryption-or private key encryption-uses only one key. This key is used to encrypt and decrypt the messages being sent. Multiple copies of the key may be made and anyone who has the key can read the message.

I recommend: MyCrypto.net provides an introduction to symmetric encryption, including coverage of the secret key and ciphertext.

Hash encryption

Hash encryption is a one-way form of communication encryption. Once a message has been encrypted, it cannot be decrypted and translated. As a result, hash encryption is not used to secure the message in an email. Instead, it is used to verify the integrity of the communication.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks.com illustrates how hash encryption works with respect to email encryption processes.

Digital signature

A type of asymmetric cryptography, digital signatures are able to offer a sense of peace of mind and security to the recipient of an email that the email was sent to them by the claimed sender. These signatures act as the electronic equivalent of handwritten signatures. They are very difficult to forge.

I recommend: Legal implications of digital signatures, including how and when they may be used, are discussed at ABAnet.org.

Certification authority

The Certification Authority is a third-party organization that issues digital certificates to its clients for purposes of email encryption. The organization can also issue public-private key pairs. It is charged with guaranteeing the individuals who receive the certificates are legitimate and who they claim to be. In many instances, this is accomplished through the Certification Authority's arrangement with a financial institution, which can provide addition identification information fundamental to this process.

I recommend: Tech-Faq.com describes what a certification authority is, but it also goes on to discuss the security aspects of certification authorities and the importance of such organizations.