Communication security

Homeland Security tells federal agencies to secure email now!

How do you know if that email from the IRS is really from the federal agency? It's not always easy to tell if something you get from a .gov address is the real deal or a scam.

But the Department of Homeland Security on Monday announced a move that should help put an end to impostor emails. All federal agencies have been given 90 days to implement DMARC, a basic email security feature that prevents spoofing.

"You got a lot of people trying to trick people into thinking they're from the IRS, or vice versa, trying to get into US government systems via phishing attacks," Jeanette Manfra, an assistant secretary in the agency's office of cybersecurity and communication, said Monday while announcing the order at the Manhattan District Attorney's office.