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

["Frynge Customer Support" <frynge () frynge com>]

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 () bigpond com>
To: <sfmailsbm () gmail com>; <security-basics () securityfocus com>
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 () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com] 
> On
> Behalf Of sfmailsbm () gmail com
> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 4:00 PM
> To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> 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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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.

http://www.msia.norwich.edu/secfocus
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