Here's another category that is a bit hard to define. What, exactly, does email security really mean? Is it the security of the email or is it all of the security issues surrounding the email? I have asked vendors that question over the years because in the SC Labs we get a variety of products that claim to be email security or email content management products. My sense is that it is both, so I consulted ITSecurity.com's "Email Security for Dummies" and, no great surprise, it includes both sets of functionality in their view.

But, at the end of the day, there is a hard problem with securing email. It's difficult for some users to do, so they don't. Here is where WebLOQ comes in and, as an added benefit, users get anti-spam, identity theft protection, and ease of compliance with regulatory requirements. All this functionality comes with ease of use and heavy logging of all transactions.

WebLOQ is a secure email service. It uses private domain names (not a part of the DNS scheme) and encrypted server storage that even WebLOQ cannot examine. Emails move via doubly encrypted TCP/IP sessions through a central SQL database, using the private domain names and custom assigned email addresses. Both ends, of course, have to be subscribers, but that is not a problem. If the recipient is not a subscriber, they are prompted to download LOQMail Free and with that can exchange private email.

If you don't want WebLOQ to host your email, you can bring the server in-house and it works exactly the same way. The system is compatible with all POP3 email services and in 2010 will be compatible with popular webmail services, such as Gmail.

Probably the second biggest benefit of the WebLOQ system is compliance reporting. Every email transaction is logged to a secure database, available instantly to the administrator.

WebLOQ has applied an interesting technology to offer an innovative solution to multiple email challenges - some operational, some technical and some legal. Taking the service to market will be an ongoing challenge and WebLOQ has selected a channel partner to access the potential volume that will make this service and associated products viable.

AT A GLANCE

Flagship product: LOQMail, free and basic

Vendor: WebLOQ

Cost: basic starts at $7.95 per user per month or $79.95 per user on an annual contract.

Innovation: Recognizing and solving the problem of securing email transactions while complying with regulatory requirements and giving users an easy-to-use product

Greatest strength: Creativity, LOQMail is a creative solution to a difficult challenge