US Government updates its guidelines for secure email

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is responsible for developing information security standards and guidelines for federal information systems, has published a draft revised guide on ‘Trustworthy Email’. The document outlines several recommendations and guidelines for enhancing true in email, such as: the use of mechanisms for authenticating a sending domain, techniques for assuring email transmission security, and encryption and authentication of message content. The draft guide also contains a series of recommendations on techniques for reducing ‘unsolicited bulk email’ (spam): approved/non-approved sender lists, domain-based authentication techniques, content filtering, and user education.