RE: Securing Corporate Web Based Email

[Jeff McLaughlin <JMclaughlin () springsgov com>]

OWA works fine if your users use the corporate mail servers for their
personal mail.  But many do not and have a need to access their personal
(free/not free) external web vendors.

I recognize that personal e-mail is a major communication tool (much like a
telephone) that people need to simply manage their lives.  To totally
disallow personal web e-mail frankly just pisses off your users so they head
to the nearest coffee shop to check their mail or "they find a way".  When
"they find a way" it usually results in a less secure atmosphere then if you
just allowed web mail.

So, I'm trying to find a way to allow personal web based (free/not free)
email...

Is there any "data" on free webmail vendors that evaluate them for virus
protection and spam control?

Let's say you allow your users to select 4 free web email vendors that have
good ratings for virus protection and spam control.  You then ensure that
your users are running updated virus protection (verified when they log into
the network).  How secure (virus-wise) would this arrangement be?  

Any strategies for scanning for inappropriate content in web-mail or
blocking known inappropriate sites?

Could I have the users log into a different user account that provided
access to e-mail but did not allow opening / saving attachments via a group
policy?

I do understand the security concerns around web based email.  Any ideas on
the best security scenario for allowing free, personal, web based email into
the corporate environment?


 
Jeff McLaughlin



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