The days of leaking information through physical means is long over; email is by far the top source of government data leaks at present. This was realised through a recent study by MeriTalk,”The Encryption Enigma”.  The study considered federal IT security and email security including the encryption challenges faced by government.

The findings concluded:

  • 47% of agencies feel there is a definite need for better email policies.
  • 45% reported that although policies may be in place, employees rarely conform to them.
  • Agencies indicate the challenges that surround enforcing the email policies.
  • 79% of federal IT security and email management professionals view cyber-security as a top priority.
  • 25% described their security in place as an ‘A’ rating with regards to effectiveness.
  • Security is hampered by lack of budget, escalation of mobile technologies and not enough training being undertaken.

 

Email encryption is a vital part of securing federal information; however the findings above show the challenges government are facing.  One federal agency sends and receives around 47.3 million emails a day it is crucial that they get there security right.  It has been suggested that security could be improved and the challenges overcome though effective end-user training and through the implementation of an advanced security technology.

Email encryption is essential to keep federal information secure with 83% of federal agencies providing users with the tools to encrypt outbound mail.  However a further challenge was the concern that sensitive information could be leaked through encrypting it, making it more difficult to detect it leaving. The challenge being that the very tool used to secure information could now be used to leak it as well.  Perhaps with an advanced security technology in place, proper training and management this challenge could be overcome.

Galaxkey is an advanced security technology, applying the best of modern available security features to achieve a robust transparent email and file security solution. Galaxkey can be the answer to overcome these challenges above.

eWEEK:

https://www.eweek.com/security/email-encryption-a-major-challenge-for-government-it/