Small Mail Server Survival Guide

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Today, many companies and organizations (non-profits, government units, and educational institutions, among others) believe that running their own mail servers has become an impossible task due to the sheer volume of inbound spam and spammers constantly trying to send outbound spam through their mail servers. Companies often lack the internal technical resources to properly configure and run a mail server and handle these threats. For these reasons, many organizations decide to outsource their email services to an external entity.



However, outsourcing is not without costs, even if the service appears to be “free.” Hidden costs include:

The other organization can see the contents of all messages. In some cases, the contents of the messages are ig database stored indefinitely on the outsourcing company's servers. External access to unencrypted emails raises privacy and confidentiality issues. Additionally, the outsourcing company may be located in another country and subject to different regulations and obligations.
In some cases, the outsourcing company’s terms and conditions allow it to search the content of emails to help target ads, which raises even greater privacy and confidentiality issues.
Organizations no longer control their own email security. Server-based encryption and authentication are managed by outsourced companies, requiring end-to-end encryption for sensitive communications.
Large companies with many customers are often the targets of cybercriminal attacks designed to steal customer data, and some of these attacks have been successful.
End users may not be able to check SMTP transaction logs. Troubleshooting and other email issues require interaction with an external support desk. The help desk is sometimes slow to respond. Front-line support, in particular, may lack the training and access to resolve any simple issues, requiring escalation and further delays.
Sharing a mail server with other organizations can cause delivery problems when users of other organizations send spam through that mail server. The potential for problems increases significantly when the outsourcing company fails to detect and block spam, or is slow to stop providing service to spammers.


These disadvantages are significant. For smaller organizations that need a reliable, confidential email system, the decision of whether to outsource can be a difficult one.