1. Purpose
Establish requirements for securing [ORGANIZATION]'s email systems against phishing, malware, data loss, and other email-borne threats.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all email systems, gateways, and services used by [ORGANIZATION], including cloud-hosted email (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) and on-premises email infrastructure.
3. Policy
3.1 Email Authentication
[ORGANIZATION] shall implement email authentication standards on all email domains: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) with a -all (hard fail) policy, DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) for all outbound messages, and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) with a policy of quarantine or reject.
DMARC aggregate and forensic reports shall be monitored at least [CUSTOMIZE: weekly/monthly] to identify unauthorized use of [ORGANIZATION]'s email domains.
Third-party services authorized to send email on [ORGANIZATION]'s behalf shall be included in SPF records and configured for DKIM signing.
3.2 Email Filtering and Protection
All inbound email shall be filtered through [ORGANIZATION]'s email security gateway, which shall provide: anti-spam filtering, malware scanning (including sandbox detonation for attachments), URL rewriting and click-time protection, impersonation detection, and attachment filtering.
Executable file types (.exe, .bat, .cmd, .ps1, .vbs, .js, .msi, and similar) shall be blocked as email attachments.
Email containing sensitive data patterns (SSN, credit card numbers, etc.) shall be scanned by DLP controls before delivery or transmission.
3.3 Email Use Requirements
Users shall not auto-forward [ORGANIZATION] email to external email addresses without approval from [CUSTOMIZE: management/IT Security].
Users shall report suspected phishing emails to [CUSTOMIZE: security team/phish reporting button] immediately upon identification.
Email encryption shall be used when sending Confidential or Restricted data externally.
4. Compliance
Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all personnel within its scope. Compliance will be monitored through periodic audits, automated controls, and management review.
Exceptions to this policy must be documented with a business justification, approved by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Security Team], and reviewed at least annually.
5. Enforcement
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or contract, and may result in civil or criminal penalties where applicable law has been violated.
[ORGANIZATION] reserves the right to audit compliance with this policy at any time, with or without notice.
6. Review and Revision
This policy shall be reviewed at least annually by [CUSTOMIZE: CISO/Policy Owner] and updated as necessary to reflect changes in the threat landscape, regulatory requirements, or organizational structure.
All revisions shall be documented with version number, date, author, and description of changes.
Policy Approval
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