Internet security has become the focus of much discussion of late, thanks in part to the recent, highly publicised, actions of a number of expert hacking fraternities, such as Lulzsec and Anonymous. With organisations as powerful as the CIA among Lulzsec's claimed victims, businesses around the globe are increasingly on the lookout for the latest measures that will ensure their data is as secure as possible. A recent email migration report published in the Independent highlights that central to this protection is the choice of email application.

In some areas of society, there is a pervading sense that one email system is much like any other, that sending a message is simply a case of typing the recipient’s name, subject, adding any attachments and hitting send. This laissez-faire attitude is, however, both inaccurate and potentially catastrophic.

The report, published in the Independent online detailed how companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of a secure email server, and are consequently taking the steps to ensure their systems are up to date. The article included statistics from a survey of 500 IT decision makers, conducted by email management company Mimecast, which revealed that 77 per cent of companies were planning to upgrade their email systems over the next two years.

Additionally, the Mimecast report demonstrated that, of the 57 per cent of companies planning to upgrade in the coming 12 months, 83 per cent intend to move to Microsoft Exchange 2010. There are a number of factors influencing this surge in the number of organisations planning an Exchange 2010 migration. The new system, for example, reduces deployment costs by addressing common requirements within the application's infrastructure, including backup, email archiving, mobile email access and voicemail, while eliminating the need for third-party tools.

Exchange 2010 also features a far simpler approach to both high availability and disaster recovery. This, combined with an improvement in terms of storage performance and new resiliency features, results in larger and more reliable mailboxes, with the added perk of no increase in cost. New self-service capabilities also enable users to perform common tasks without calling the help desk, leaving them free to concentrate on more serious matters.

For many, safety and security is the understandable priority. With its centrally managed information protection and control features, encrypting and moderating your business' communications with Exchange 2010 is both simple and effective. In addition, the application uses inbuilt defences to actively protect your system from junk mail, significantly reducing the threat of spam and malware.

Selecting and using the right email system is of such importance that it can make or break a business. Imagine, for a moment, that an industry competitor got hold of your company's mailing list, or if your data was copied and sold. If the former occurs, the opposition have just been afforded an open goal. In the case of the latter, customers could well start receiving emails they hadn't signed up for, and consequently view any further email campaigns as spam, leaving your business' reputation in tatters.

Essentially, if data is not secured and backed up at least in one other location, immeasurable hours of marketing time, money and labour could be wasted. As well as investing in the latest and greatest email server, establishing a code of practice and educating employees on the importance of security is another weapon in the battle for communications safety.

Those who are not IT minded can outsource their transition to Exchange 2010 to an independent company, who will not only be able to back up and archive existing data, but also ensure email systems function at full efficiency throughout the migration; leaving businesses safe in the knowledge that their communications are secure.