Controlling where your e-mail goes

E-mail security has become the problem corporations will spend millions on to protect their secrets and competitive information.

While this is something most people will let their boss handle, a Bellevue company has placed control of this matter into individual hands by allowing the sender to restrict the recipient's ability to forward or copy a message.

For instance, our own president has revealed he does not send his daughters e-mail because he is afraid his parental admonitions will find their way into the press.

Across the pond, the British prime minister's office regressed to a system of Post-it notes around each other's monitors to restrict leaks.

While this may maintain a certain level of confidentiality, the ability to search little yellow pieces of paper for clarification is limited.

But you don't have to run a country to see the value in the Taceo service from Essential Security Software. The software imposes the ability to limit forwarding, copying or printing.

You can prevent the recipient from cutting and pasting the message text into another program. You can also set a date after which time the message will disappear.

As the software provides these controls, it gives e-mail the ephemeral quality of private speech: You can say something once for the ears of your companion, but it cannot be repeated or passed on to someone for whom the message was not intended.

"I want to be able to speak freely, but there should be a volume control," said company President and CEO Ray Zambroski. "I want to be able to modulate the reach of my voice, so it is like telling someone about my political beliefs across the table at a restaurant."

Today, this particular free-speech avenue is a toll road. You cannot use the program with Web mail or on a Mac. Eudora and Outlook Express users are left unprotected.

In fact, the only people who can click a button and impose controls on their communication are using the full version of Microsoft Outlook.

Those excluded can understand the arrangement, as any new software company has to go where the money is.

Zambroski promises that the program will be available on other platforms. He'd like it to happen in the next four months or so, but understandably cannot commit to a solid date.

While there will still be the option for some individuals to pay the $59 service fee, he expects to license the technology to Web mail vendors who will offer the increased security as a premium service.

Cost isn't really the issue, as people who really need this will pay.

In a sense, the program diminishes e-mail's accountability, one of its most refreshing traits. E-mail makes it harder to lie, as you can't repudiate the written word.

On the other hand, it would be nice to decrease the possibility of messages landing in the wrong inbox or taken out of context.

For more information, such as when this will be available for the rest of us, go to www.essentialsecurity.com.

If you have questions or suggestions for Charles Bermant, you can contact him by e-mail at cbermant@seattletimes.com. Type Inbox in the subject field. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.