Effective Email Policies: Why enforcing proper use is critical to security

Overview

The unmonitored and unguarded use of email by employees poses a multitude of risks to organizations. The distribution of inappropriate or offensive content, malicious emails, and the risks of data leakage all threaten working environments, IT resources and an organization’s reputation. A comprehensive, transparent and enforceable email acceptable use policy (AUP), combined with robust email security solutions, dramatically reduces exposure to these risks. This paper investigates why organizations need an email AUP and highlights how they can enforce it. It also provides practical guidance on developing a policy that meets the combined requirements of an organization’s IT, HR and legal departments.