How to Protect Email Transmission & Web Servers

Web server and email transmission attacks are on the increase.

Using the current tools such as firewalls, antivirus software, and disabling hackers' favorite entry code avenues (Java and ActiveX) on computers, will help protect your email transmissions and web server from infestation. Taking a few other recommended steps will further protect your expensive equipment and data.

Instructions

1. Write down a definite time schedule to periodically update your software and protect your server. Determine whether your providers do this automatically, when they do it, or if the company requires you to log on to their site for system updates. New threats to computers arise daily, requiring software companies to patch any flaws in their systems that have been breached.

2. Encrypt the wireless router (WIFI) network used to connect to the Internet with the WPA2 encryption standard to plug email transmission security risks.This component of email security is often overlooked and may allow email transmissions to be breached through the remote access to the wireless router (WIFI).

3. Uninstall unnecessary software from the server. Oftentimes manufacturers install unrequired network systems into web server software. Remove or disable these, and any older application programs, as they could allow hackers to attack your system. Newer versions of software have the latest security components installed while the older ones may contain entry points that could harm your services.

4. Scan all email attachments for viruses. Email attachments make a common venue for viruses. Scanning all attachments for known viruses on input to the server will prevent entry to your system before it can become widespread. Free virus scanning software is readily available on the Internet.

5. Provide administrative and programmer access to trusted employees. Work with your human resources department to ensure adequate background checks remain an essential part of the hiring process. Then provide access permissions to only trusted personnel to the administrative and executable programming sections of your server. Periodic reviews of log files also will ensure you know about potential problems before they occur.

6. Educate your clients to the techniques hackers and malware creators use to transmit their viruses. This constitutes one of the easiest ways to protect email transmissions and your web server. When clients open an account, service providers should automatically send a pre-set list of procedures to follow when accessing the system and sending emails. The list should include items such as blacklisting spam mail instead of merely deleting it, using rich text file (RTF) formats which can't harbor viruses, never opening a file if you didn't request anything from the sender, or warning them of the latest threat of opening pictures with embedded valid-address responders for spam installed in them. Forewarning can stop many of the problems before they start.

References

• Phys.org: How to Protect Your Web Server
• IT Security: 99 Email Security Tips

Resources

• Guidelines on Securing Public Web Servers