Are you using authentication technology to protect your agency against email fraud and phishing? Probably not!

A new study by the Online Trust Alliance recently found that fewer than half of all government agencies are using this technology. That's not surprising. The technology is more than an afterthought, and it does cost money at a time when belt-tightening is the name of the game.

Still, the technology is essential in running a tight ship. Email authentication technology, for example, lets servers spot whether an email is coming from the right domain, and not a fraudulent location. The OTA study showed that only 11 of the 25 government domains exampled used such authentication.

"It is incomprehensible that in this period of escalating online scams and diminishing consumer confidence these agencies and businesses continue to sit on the sidelines," said OTA Chairman Craig Spiezle.

Some agencies without authentication, as unbelievable as it may seem, include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Secret Service and the White House--all agencies that could be subject to an onslaught of hack attacks and other kinds of Internet mischief.

For more on authentication:
- check out this Government Computer News article