Issuing security commands to a client device

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a client device, the program, when executed by the client device, enforces at least one compliance rule to regulate access to e-mail by causing the client device to at least:

configure a mail client executed by the client device to identify a locally addressable network address as a mail server, the locally addressable network address corresponding to a mail proxy executed by the client device;

receive, in the mail proxy, a request to communicate with a remote mail server from the mail client;

determine whether the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule stored on the client device;

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forward the request from the mail client to the remote mail server through a network; and

in response to determining that the client device fails to comply with the at least one compliance rule, cause the mail proxy executed by the client device to perform a security action specified by the at least one compliance rule, wherein the security action comprises issuing a command to the mail client to erase data stored on the client device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the program further causes the client device to:

receive, in the mail proxy executed by the client device, a response to the request from the remote mail server; and

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forward the response to the mail client.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein issuing the command to the mail client to erase data comprises informing the mail client that a mailbox associated with a user account on the remote mail server is an empty mailbox.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the program further causes the client device to consult a network accessible service in order to determine whether the client device complies with at least one compliance rule.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the program further causes the client device to identify a user account corresponding to the request, and the at least one compliance rule specifies that if a specific application is not installed on the client device, data associated with the user account cannot be accessed.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compliance rule specifies that the client device should be located within a particular geographic location.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request to communicate with the remote mail server comprises at least one of: a request to send mail, a request to receive mail, a request to synchronize mail data, a request to synchronize calendar data, or a request to synchronize contact data.

8. A client device, comprising:

a data store comprising at least one compliance rule;

a processor in communication with the data store, the processor enforcing the at least one compliance rule to regulate access to e-mail by causing the client device to:

configure a mail client executed by the client device to identify a locally addressable network address as a mail server, the locally addressable network address corresponding to a mail proxy executed by the client device;

receive, in the mail proxy, a request to communicate with a remote mail server from the mail client;

determine whether the client device complies with at least one compliance rule stored on the client device;

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forward the request from the mail client to the remote mail server through a network; and

in response to determining that the client device fails to comply with the at least one compliance rule, cause the mail proxy executed by the client device to perform a security action specified by the at least one compliance rule, wherein the security action comprises issuing a command to the mail client to erase data stored on the client device.

9. The client device of claim 8 , wherein the processor further causes the client device to:

receive, in the mail proxy executed by the client device, a response to the request from the remote mail server; and

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forward the response to the mail client.

10. The client device of claim 8 , wherein issuing the command to the mail client to erase data comprises informing the mail client that a mailbox associated with a user account on the remote mail server is an empty mailbox.

11. The client device of claim 8 , wherein the processor further causes the client device to consult a network accessible service in order to determine whether the client device complies with at least one compliance rule.

12. The client device of claim 8 , wherein the processor further causes the client device to identify a user account corresponding to the request, and the at least one compliance rule specifies that if a specific application is not installed on the client device, data associated with the user account cannot be accessed.

13. The client device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one compliance rule specifies that the client device should be located within a particular geographic location.

14. The client device of claim 8 , wherein the request to communicate with the remote mail server comprises at least one of: a request to send mail, a request to receive mail, a request to synchronize mail data, a request to synchronize calendar data, or a request to synchronize contact data.

15. A method of regulating access to email by enforcing at least one compliance rule, comprising:

configuring a mail client executed by a client device to identify a locally addressable network address as a mail server, the locally addressable network address corresponding to a mail proxy executed by the client device;

receiving, in the mail proxy, a request to communicate with a remote mail server from the mail client;

determining whether the client device complies with at least one compliance rule stored on the client device;

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forwarding the request from the mail client to the remote mail server through a network; and

in response to determining that the client device fails to comply with the at least one compliance rule, causing the mail proxy executed by the client device to perform a security action specified by the at least one compliance rule, wherein the security action comprises issuing a command to the mail client to erase data stored on the client device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, in the mail proxy executed by the client device, a response to the request from the remote mail server; and

in response to determining that the client device complies with the at least one compliance rule, forwarding the response to the mail client.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein issuing the command to the mail client to erase data comprises informing the mail client that a mailbox associated with a user account on the remote mail server is an empty mailbox.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising consulting a network accessible service in order to determine whether the client device complies with at least one compliance rule.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying a user account corresponding to the request, and the at least one compliance rule specifies that if a specific application is not installed on the client device, data associated with the user account cannot be accessed.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one compliance rule specifies that the client device should be located within a particular geographic location.