Fortify says email SaaS predictions may be wide of the mark

"There is nothing intrinsically wrong with SaaS-driven email, but companies need to be very careful to verify [that] the service they are using has the required security technology and processes to meet regulatory compliance issues, as well as the infrastructure required to meet the needs of any organisation," explains Rob Rachwald, Fortify's marketing director. "There is also the issue of whether a firm's security can be enhanced to extend its protective envelope around the SaaS-driven email service, and perhaps interface with the service provider's IT security systems at an API level," he adds. Unfortunately, says Rachwald, not all SaaS-driven email services were created equal – and, as a result, some are better at security than others. He makes similar points about Gartner's prediction for a rise in the take-up of hybrid server/SaaS email systems – forecast to happen as major companies move to cloud computing environments. "The financial imperative for cloud computing is very strong, especially in these recessionary times but, again, the security issues involved may well temper many companies' moves in this regard," he says.