POP3 - secure or not?

[julianf]

Hi,

I have posted this in the Exchange 5.5 thread as well...but maybe some of the firewall experts could shed some light.

One of my remote sites are connected via a diginet line will be diconnected soon. Since they will no longer be on our LAN, I will have to remove their local exchange server and push thir mailboxes to the main production server.

They will then use a modem for internet and I will have to configure them as pop-clients.

Is POP3 secure? Others have told me that it is not secure and should not be allowed. The remote users do not want to use OWA as their solution...I don't blame them, as it is very limited and slow.

What would be my best solution?

Regards,

Julian

 

[julianf]

Hi,

Sorry, I forgot a very NB point. Our main site is protected by a Symantec Raptor 7.0 firewall. It does allow pop3, as I have tested it before.

My actually question should have been: Is pop3 a threat to attacks from the outside? If so, what are my alternatives to providing the remote site with their e-mail through a modem. (besides from RAS).

Thanx,

Julian

 

[johnny99]

POP3 can be a security problem.
I someone sniffs your trafic they can read pop3 userid's and passwords without any problems.

Only secure way I know of using pop3 and imap is using VPN from the client.
Raptor mobile is not the best VPN client around seen from an administrators or users pint of view.

What we do is using SonicWall as a VPN concentrator and SonicWall's on home offices and VPN from the home office to the main office.
The VPN client from SonicWall is good too, but we will only use that for laptops connecting using GSM/GPRS and internet connections in hotelrooms.

/johnny

 

[julianf]

Thanx Johnny,

I also thought of VPN...we use Raptor firewall and raptor VPN software here...it works well, but can be a mission to setup...I suppose that would be the safest solution.

Julian