Do You Allow Webmail Use on Your Network?

rtobyr asks: "I don't allow users at my organization to use any third party e-mail. When users complain, I point out that we can't control the security policies of outside systems. End users tend to think that big business will of course have good security; so I ran a test of the 'Big Four': Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL/AIM Mail, and GMail. Yahoo Mail was the only webmail provider to allow delivery of a VBS script. GMail was the only provider to block a zipped VBS script. End users also tend to think that a big business would never pull security features out from under their customers. Of course, we know that AOL and Microsoft have both compromised the security of their customers. I don't know of any security related bad press for Yahoo or Google. Three of my Big Four either allow VBS attachments or have a poor security track records. So, if you are a network administrator, do you limit your users' ability to use third party e-mail, and if so, do you allow for GMail or other providers that you've deemed to have secure systems and reputations?"

Comments

Stupidity!

[cashman73]

These days, anybody that opens ANYTHING with a .vbs extension deserves whatever happens to their computer! Are users really that dumb?

Re:Squirrelmail

[brobak]

Its not useless if it gets the auditors off your back, and keeps the regulators from shutting down your company.

I know that the real world security gained by these actions is almost (though not quite) nil. Thats not really the point, is it? I thought I made that clear in my original reply.