Security considerations for outgoing communications

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing program instructions;
• and
• at least one processor for processing the program instructions to:
• receive user entry of an electronic communication that designates a receiving communication device;
• determine a topic of the electronic communication;
• determine a media type of the electronic communication;
• search predetermined associations of various topics and various media types with various security requirements;
• automatically assign one or more security requirements to the electronic communication, the one or more security requirements having a predetermined association with the determined topic and the determined media type of the electronic communication;
• identify a security state of the receiving communication device for receiving the electronic communication via the determined media type;
• and
• transmit the electronic communication to the receiving communication device over a communication network only in response to the security state of the receiving communication device satisfying the one or more security requirements assigned to the electronic communication.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one storage device for storing program instructions;
• and
• at least one processor for processing the program instructions to:
• receive user entry of an electronic communication that designates a receiving communication device;
• determine a topic of the electronic communication;
• determine a media type of the electronic communication;
• assign one or more security requirements to the electronic communication based on the topic and the media type;
• identify a security state of the receiving communication device for receiving the electronic communication via the media type;
• and
• produce an output notification in response to determining that the receiving communication device has not satisfied each of the one or more security requirements.