E mail Signature As A Security Tool

Most organizations over look this very important security tool. How can an organization or an individual verify the authenticity of an in coming mail? Attaching a signature to your mail should be a standard practice. Your E-mail Signature is an electronic business card and as such is a very important security tool in e-mail verification.

Here is a sample of an e-mail signature
<+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++>
Customer Consideration Ltd    info@customerconsider.com
http://:www.customerconsider.com
No 20 Ibadan Road, Opposite Yemi Book Shop,
Kaduna, Nigeria, West Africa.
GSM:, Tel No:
We Sell Affordable Baby Clothes
<+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++>

All the ways by which your organization can be contacted; phone numbers, fax number, mailing address, e-mail address, url address.

The particular designation of the individual or the department's name sending the mail. Example if it's the CEO of a bank it should be stated. ceo @ xyzbank.com

Every e-mail address must have an e-mail signature. Example ceo @ xyzbank.com

info @ xzybank.com Each e-mail address should have an e-mail signature.

The organization's logo and slogan should also be added.

As A Weapon Against E-mail Fraud
A mail stating that, they must not honor any mail not containing the attached e-mail signature must be sent to all clients. A copy of all e-mail signatures must be forwarded to the company's lawyer.

How Do You Set Up An E-mail Signature
All standard e-mail programs come with the ability to set up an e-mail signature. The e-mail programs also give you the option of attaching the e-mail signature to every outgoing mail.

Advantages Of E-mail Signatures
Any Organization or Individual, claiming to have received a fraudulent mail from a well established organization, should be made to send a copy of the fraudulent mail for verification. Once the e-mail signature is not attached to it. The lawyer can always sue for name defamation, if the said organization is not aware of the company's e-mail signature.

Advice:
In information security, the little things we over look counts. How many companies in Nigeria are aware of e-mail signatures?

A copy of the e-mail signature or signatures must be registered with the appropriate copyright organization.

Website development must be accompanied by an it security consultant. Recently a disclaimer Advertisement was placed in one of the widely read newspapers stating "scams involving illegal reference".

The question now is, how can people identify legitimate mails?