How to set up an email Server

We're joined now by Robert Siciliano, technology and security expert. Robert, thanks for joining us.

Thank you.

So Robert, we wanted to talk to you to get the tech perspective on this. So email servers are very different from personal email addresses. How difficult is it for a person to set up a private email server? What sort of effort goes into that?

Well, it could be as, um, as simple as setting up a basic Microsoft program on your own home PC and then plugging in some credentials and it works. Or it can become very complex and also expensive depending on the size and scope of the server, how many people will be using it, the necessary security in place. In the end, you want it to work, to be fully functional, and to be backed up in case it fails. With all of the issues revolving around privacy and security and functionality, setting up a web email server is not for the faint of heart.

Mm-hmm. What kind of people can set up a personal email server? Email server? I mean, I imagine this takes a lot of either tech experience yourself or tech staff working for you. So besides Hillary Clinton, who else can do that?

Well, certainly anybody can do it. And when I say that, I mean anybody that has the basic skills of technology, understanding how devices work, how to code just a little bit, understanding how to follow directions. Most people can bake a cake by following directions. All can set up an email server by following the directions because the instructions may go above our heads. All that being said, it's doable with the right people, training, staff, technology, and potential investment.

Mm-hmm. So thinking about security concerns with Hillary Clinton's server, right now there's no evidence that Secretary Clinton was hacked. But given what we know about Clinton's setup, is the concern that she might have been or could have been hacked valid?

So certainly it's valid. Anything is hackable, really, with the right access, whether it's access from the inside or access from the outside by social engineering. Any flaws in that network, any vulnerabilities in the hardware or software can promote or facilitate hacking. So yes, it's certainly possible. The question is, how likely is it?

Mm-hmm. And how much more secure are government servers? As we know with WikiLeaks, is any electronic communication ever really secure?

So, you know, no. And government, you know, as much as they require corporations to be secure, they themselves have been lax in their own security. We have seen, you know, the Office of Personnel Management breach and others, often due to lack of consistency in their security technologies, meaning they're not properly upgrading and updating their hardware and software. They'll often, you know, with bureaucracies, there are many, you know, there's many people to go through, tons of paperwork, and lots of approvals that have to happen in order for those upgrades in hardware and software to occur, which often, you know, stifles progress, innovation, technology, security, and so on. And that's one of the reasons why we see government fail so often. Which might be one of the reasons why Mrs. Clinton did what she did.

Mm-hmm. And do you think— how vulnerable do you think Hillary Clinton's server might be in the future now that it's been sort of exposed? How vulnerable do you think they can be to, you know, potential hackers out there or other security risks?

I would imagine that the Clintons are very resourceful. They certainly have the capital investment to make that happen. They have access to some of the best technologists on the planet, the chance of them being hacked is, you know, like anyone else, but with the exception that they're probably deploying the right hardware, software, and people to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

All right, well, thank you so much, Robert Siciliano, for joining us.

Thank you so much.