Mailbag: Readers agree that e-mail encryption is not an easy sell

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MICHAEL OSTERMAN ON MESSAGING
08/16/05
Today's focus: Mailbag: Readers agree that e-mail encryption is
not an easy sell

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Comments about encrypted e-mail and getting end users to
  comply
* Links related to Messaging
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Mailbag: Readers agree that e-mail encryption is
not an easy sell

By Michael Osterman

My recent article on making the case for encrypted e-mail
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5152> generated a significant
response - here's a sample of what readers had to say on the
subject:

* "I gave up on the battle to make users appreciate the risks
  and use e-mail carefully. However, I have had greater success
  getting them to switch from e-mail to more secure means of
  collaboration, such as secure document repositories. Not only
  are they more secure, but also more economical. Surprisingly, I
  have had little problem convincing clients to use a centralized
  secure repository whereas I found it impossible to convince
  anyone to use secure e-mail (or at least use it judiciously). I
  suppose it's a bit like treating alcoholism; it's easier to stop
  drinking entirely than to simply cut back."

* "With a focus on secure messaging by Microsoft, we could
  quickly see the deployment of a standards-based Internet
  infrastructure. Without it, it will remain largely implacable.
  The reason is that you never know what capabilities your
  receivers have."

* "Better to drill into people an underlying instinctive feeling
  that e-mail is insecure (Pavlovian conditioning of some form
  required here), and provide a solution that 'feels different'
  for sending secure stuff. Extranet, password-secured FTP site,
  there are many options that can work without too much
  infrastructure investment."

* "E-mail is our biggest hole in our [Health Insurance
  Portability and Accountability Act] security. I've heard of
  outbound filters to stop certain info from leaving the network,
  but imagine building the criteria list. A salesman from [a
  vendor] called last week offering our little non-profit an
  encrypted e-mail solution, but it costs too much. The recipient
  has to log on to their site to retrieve the e-mail by entering a
  password each time. How many people are going to remember
  ANOTHER password? Oh well, I'll just put it on a sticky note on
  my monitor-oops, HIPAA violation!"

* "The problems we found [with secure messaging]: getting people
  here to use it; making it easy enough so that the recipient can
  unencrypt the message; getting people to understand WHEN they
  need to use it; and technical problems, mostly on the
  recipient's side. Basically, you become the help desk to the
  world."

* "Your article...and the quotes from the Australian [reader
  cited in the article] are exactly what I face. Secure e-mail is
  too complicated for the average non-techie. The only alternative
  I have found is to hire a company...that takes one's outgoing
  e-mail and turns it into an encrypted Web page. The cost for
  such a service, $10 to $30 per month per e-mail box, is cost
  prohibitive. Given HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and so forth, the
  world desperately needs a low-cost, easy solution."

Thank you to everyone who provided their comments on the
article.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5153>

2. Cisco to double Catalyst 6500 switch capacity in coming
months, report says
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5154>

3. Test: CipherTrust tops encryption field
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5155>

4. Microsoft tool to simplify Vista deployment
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5156>

5. Future-proof your network
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg3540>

Today's most-forwarded story:

Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlmsg5157>
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Michael Osterman

Michael D. Osterman is the principal of Osterman Research
<http://www.ostermanresearch.com/>, a market research firm that
helps organizations understand the markets for messaging,
directory and related products and services. He can be reached
by clicking here <mailto:michael@ostermanresearch.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Avaya
Network World Executive Guide: Evaluating VoIP in the Enterprise

Got VoIP? More and more companies are answering yes...the
reasons vary from cost savings, network flexibility, and ease of
administration. Yet others are drawn to the promise of advanced
VoIP applications such as unified messaging and collaboration.
Register now and get a free copy of Network World's Got VoIP?
Executive Guide, which outlines the keys to successful VoIP
deployments.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=110522
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Messaging newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/gwm/index.html
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Find out if compensation alone is keeping network professionals
happy in their careers - or is something else? Click here:
<http://www.networkworld.com/you/2005/072505-salary-survey.html>
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