Email Security

Technology Overview
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. But the
unsecure nature of email has resulted in the inadvertent and malicious exposure of sensitive
information.
Technologies to encrypt email, such as S/MIME and Open PGP, have been available for
several years, but they have failed to achieve widespread adoption. The limited use of these
technologies is primarily due to their deployment complexity and the burden they place on
the sender and the recipient to open and manage encrypted messages.
Cisco® IronPort Email Encryption overcomes the problems of earlier encryption technologies
by providing a solution that that meets compliance requirements for email encryption, while
delivering powerful new email control features—all in an easy-to-use, broad-reaching, and
affordable offering.

T h e C i s c o I r o n P o r t D iff e r e n c e

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

Leveraging the Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO) center and global threat correlation makes the Cisco IronPort line
of products smarter and faster. This advanced technology enables organizations to improve their security and transparently
protect users from the latest Internet threats.

F e at u r e s

Integrated Functionality
Along with RSA Email DLP, Cisco IronPort Anti-Spam, and Cisco IronPort Virus Outbreak Filters, Cisco IronPort Email Encryption
is integrated into the high-performance line of Cisco IronPort email security appliances. Converging email functions into a single
appliance means a simpler email infrastructure and lower capital and operational costs.
Technology Overview: Cisco IronPort Email Encryption page 2

F e at u r e s ( C o n ti n u e d )

Flexible Sender Encryption

The sender can initiate encryption through a wide variety of means, including installing an email client plug-in that allows them
to encrypt a message with the click of a button, marking the message as urgent, or 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, as
well as 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 secure and transparent management of encryption key creation, distribution, and
retention. Operating from multiple Cisco data centers, this service 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.

Message pushed
to recipient

User opens secured

message in browser

Gateway encrypts
message

Key is stored
User authenticates and
receives message key

Cisco Registered
Decrypted
Envelope Service
message displayed

B e n e fit s

Easy to Set Up and Administer

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.
Technology Overview: Cisco IronPort Email Encryption page 3

B e n e fit s ( c o n ti n u e d )

Total Email Control

Unlike other email encryption solutions, Cisco IronPort Email Encryption allows the sender to continue to remain in full
control of their content—even after it’s been sent. With Cisco IronPort Email Encryption, senders don’t have to fear mistyped
recipient addresses, mistakes in content, or time-sensitive emails, because they always have the option to lock the message.

Regulatory Compliance
Cisco IronPort Email Encryption satisfies the encryption requirements for regulatory requirements such as PCI, HIPAA, SOX,
GLBA—as well as state privacy regulations and European directives—without being a burden on the senders, recipients, or
email administrators. Ease of use combined with powerful features means that now IT can offer encryption as a service, not
a mandate.

S u mm a r y

Cisco IronPort Email Encryption technology revolutionizes email encryption—satisfying compliance requirements while
providing opportunity to extend into areas that can add tangible business value. Cisco provides the only email encryption
technology that combines universal accessibility (send and receive on any email platform) with ease-of-use (no client
software or PKI), and is proven in mission-critical deployments of up to 30 million recipients.

C o n ta ct U s

How to Get Started

Cisco sales representatives, channel partners and system engineers are ready to help you evaluate how Cisco IronPort
products can make your corporate network infrastructure secure, reliable and easier to manage. If you believe that your
organization could benefit from these industry-leading products, please call 650-989-6530 or visit us on the web at
www.ironport.com/leader.

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