Securing Web Based Corporate E-Mail Using Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access

Organizations exposing their internal e-mail systems to the Internet unleash a significant number of security risks that must be addressed. Failure to do so threatens the host organization's mail server, network, corporate partners and even a corporation's very existence. This paper addresses one solution - Microsoft's Outlook Web Access (OWA), which is an extension of the Exchange 5.5 mail system, enabling client access to basic e-mail features, public folders, and a personal calendar through a standard Web browser. With the correct combination of technology, policy and user education, this system can indeed be secured sufficiently enough to withstand rigorous scrutiny.