As of 2021, people send and receive an estimated 319.6 billion emails every day around the world. It’s a primary means of business communication, yet many of these emails are sent without encryption, leaving crucial data vulnerable to threats.
When your team members send unencrypted emails, they unknowingly put your business information at risk for attack by the ever-evolving methods of cybercriminals.
The risks of unencrypted email
Communicating through unencrypted email is like passing a coworker a note with your private data written on it. If all goes well, that information may stay private, but there isn’t much preventing it from falling into the wrong hands.
You should always send personal data like bank account numbers, invoices, and personal identity information with an extra element of protection.
Otherwise, hackers can easily access this data and use it to harm you and commit fraudulent acts.
They can also hack into and steal your business’s information, which would expose your customers’ private data and lead to a costly security incident.
Once hackers have access to your sensitive information, they can also send spam and malware to others, putting your entire network at risk.
These activities all threaten your company’s financial stability and reputation. You are legally obligated to tell customers if their data has been compromised, which will impact loyalty and those valuable relationships you worked so hard to establish.
How email encryption works
Encryption is the solution to thwart email security threats, and it’s easy to implement across your entire business.
When emails are encrypted, the information you send is encoded in a way that makes extracting your confidential data impossible.
Only the intended recipient can access the enclosed data using a private decryption key.
Email encryption occurs in two ways: transport layer security (TLS), or encrypting emails during transit, or end-to-end encryption.
These days, many email providers already use TLS, and it simply isn’t enough to only secure emails while they are on the move.
Implementing end-to-end encryption is the stronger approach, ensuring your correspondence is protected at every phase.
Companies of all sizes would be wise to implement email encryption as a fundamental part of their cybersecurity plan.
Your network is only as secure as its weakest link, and most cyberattacks occur due to human error, so it’s worth deploying end-to-end encryption that is easy for every team member to use.
Invest in email encryption
Perhaps you are still wondering, “What is unencrypted email and how can I eliminate it across my business?” your best approach is to find an easy-to-use email encryption software that can do the work for you, ensuring your business’s sensitive data is always securely sealed.
Small and midsize businesses can place this type of software at the heart of their cybersecurity plan.
It’s an excellent way to make sure company data stays protected even without an in-house IT team.
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