Unencrypted email
From Blindside
Contents |
[edit] What is it
Unencrypted emails are email messages that are unsecured and are potentially at a risk of being intercepted and read by hackers. While there is a general awareness of the risks associated with using unsecured email, users prefer to use unencrypted emails. This may be attributed to email users feeling that the perceived risk pales compared to the perceived difficulty in encrypting emails especially. Moreover popular encryption solutions do not interoperate.
[edit] Impact & Maturity assessment
We assign this an Impact Level of 2, our intermediate level, as currently far too much information is sent by unencrypted email. However, this is an admin/business rules issue that could be resolved relatively quickly by educating management in affected organisations. We assign this a Maturity Level of 3 in our belief that organisations will be fairly quick in adopting proper procedures to resolve this issue.
[edit] Information Assurance issues
Answer: what seem to be the likely information assurance issues of the emerging technology under discussion
[edit] Timescale
Currently, there are not many providers that offer a wide range of encrypted email services. So for experiencing the impact of a secure email services might take approximately 5-25 years.
[edit] Implications for UK Government
[edit] Examples
Evidence of this emerging technology in practice, eg new items with links
[edit] Comments (attributed)
“Unencrypted email traversing the general Internet can be untraceably modified or deleted by people in the right place or with the right access. Emails can also be captured and resent later, possibly with modifications. This could have a devastating effect on a business!” says Erik Kangas, President of LuxSci.
[edit] Organisations
[edit] Documents & research papers
Guidelines on Electronic Mail Security
[edit] Experts (academic, practitioner)
Philip R. Zimmermann, is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy, an email encryption software package.
Erik Kangas, President of Lux Scientiae
