Cisco IronPort Email Encryption

Despite the rise in text messaging, instant messaging, social networking, and other forms of communication, email continues to be the predominant business collaboration tool. The unsecured nature of email, however, has caused the inadvertent and malicious exposure of sensitive information.

Deploy Easy-to-Use Email Encryption

Technologies to encrypt email, such as Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) and OpenPGP, have been available for several years, but have not achieved widespread adoption. These technologies are in only limited use primarily because they:

• Are complex to deploy
• Place the burden on senders and recipients to open and manage encrypted messages

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption overcomes the problems of earlier encryption technologies by providing a solution that:

• Meets compliance requirements for email encryption
• Delivers powerful new email control features
• Is easy to use, broad reaching, and affordable

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption Is Simple to Use

Powerful Perimeter Defense

Cisco IronPort email and web security products are high-performance, easy-to-use, and technically innovative solutions, designed to help secure organizations of all sizes. Built for security and deployed at the gateway to protect some of the world's most important networks, these products help enable a powerful perimeter defense.

Combined Intelligence and Threat Correlation

Taking full advantage of the Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO) center and global threat correlation makes the Cisco IronPort line of products smarter and faster. This advanced technology helps you improve your security and transparently protects users from the latest Internet threats.

Integrated Functionality

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption is integrated into the high-performance line of Cisco IronPort Email Security Appliances, along with:

• RSA Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Cisco IronPort Anti-Spam
• Cisco IronPort Virus Outbreak Filters

Converging email functions into a single appliance means a simpler email infrastructure and lower capital and operational costs.

Flexible Sender Encryption

The sender can initiate encryption through a wide variety of methods, including:

• Installing an email client plug-in that can encrypt a message with the click of a button
• Marking the message as urgent
• Using a code word (such as “encrypt”) in the subject line.

Emails can also be encrypted automatically through administrator-configured policies.

Support for All Email Platforms

Messages encrypted using Cisco IronPort Email Encryption can be opened by any AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, or Hotmail user. They can also be opened by traditional enterprise email clients such as Outlook, Lotus Notes, and GroupWise.

Flexible Key Management

Cisco takes the burden out of encryption key management through a hosted key management service. The Cisco Registered Envelope Service:

• Provides highly secure and transparent management of encryption key creation, distribution, and retention
• Operates from multiple Cisco data centers
• Has high availability and 10-year key retention

If an organization cannot permit a hosted key service, Cisco provides the flexibility of on-premises key management with the Cisco IronPort Encryption Appliance.

Easy Setup and Administration

With Cisco IronPort Email Encryption, email administrators can implement message-level encryption in two easy steps and be up and running in minutes. Cisco transparently manages key creation, distribution, and retention, as well as recipient user management.

Total Email Control

Unlike other email encryption solutions, with Cisco IronPort Email Encryption, senders remain in full control of their content, even after it has been sent. With Cisco IronPort Email Encryption, senders always have the option to lock the message, so they do not have to worry about:

• Mistyped recipient addresses
• Mistakes in content
• Time-sensitive messages

Regulatory Compliance

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption satisfies encryption regulatory requirements without being a burden on the senders, recipients, or email administrators. These requirements include state privacy regulations and European directives, as well as those of:

• PCI
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

Ease of use combined with powerful features means that now IT can offer encryption as a service, not a mandate.

Proven Encryption Technology

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption technology transforms email encryption. It satisfies compliance requirements while providing the opportunity to extend into areas that can add tangible business value.

Cisco IronPort provides the only email encryption technology that combines:

• Universal accessibility (send and receive on any email platform)
• Ease of use (no client software or public key infrastructure)

In addition, this solution has been proven in mission-critical deployments of up to 30 million recipients.

For More Information

For more information, download Cisco IronPort data sheets:

• Cisco IronPort Email Encryption (PDF - 162 KB)

Fill out a simple form to send yourself an encrypted email message