Identify the Security Issues with E-mail

• Malicious code is code that performs something harmful to the computer it runs on. Malicious code is often sent through e-mail.



• Viruses are pieces of malicious code that require user action to spread.



• Trojan programs deceive the user into thinking that a program is something innocuous, when it is actually a piece of malicious code.



• Worms are pieces of malicious code that use automated methods to spread.



• Spam, or unsolicited commercial e-mail, is e-mail that is sent to you without you requesting it, attempting to sell you something. The electronic equivalent of a telemarketing call.



• Hoax e-mails are e-mails that travel from user to user because of the compelling story contained in them.

Describe the Security Practices Associated with E-mail

• How to protect your e-mail system from virus code



• Don’t execute any attachment from an unknown source.



• Use antivirus programs that run on the server to filter all e-mails.



• Use client-side antivirus programs to catch any viruses that might come from web-based e-mail accounts.



• Keep all software up-to-date to help prevent worm propagation.



• Server-side filtering software and the application of spam blackhole lists help limit the amount of unsolicited mail.



• E-mail encryption is a great way to protect the privacy of communication since e-mail is a cleartext medium.

Name Software that Improves Security in E-mail

• PGP, or Pretty Good Privacy



• S/MIME, or Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions



• Antivirus software