Email Security
15/10/2007 @ 12:09
Businesses are using email to send sensitive and confidential information even though they are aware that it is one of the most unsecure ways of sending information, according to a recent study.
The research also found that less than 10% of businesses are currently encrypting their email, despite being aware that emails often go through numerous servers and locations before reaching their final recipient.
Solicitors were found to be among the worst culprits. A survey of over 200 UK law firms said that half of those questioned thought their existing network implemented email confidentiality when it did not. Participants also said more than 50% of emails sent contained some form of confidential or sensitive information.
Experts said that this lack of security, particularly for solicitors, exposes a business to unnecessary risk, including privacy breaches and theft.
Greg Day, a security consultant with internet security firm McAfee, said that the threat associated with typing confidential or personal information in open e-mails is serious and very real.
Some solicitors acknowledged that law firms foresee real problems in using email encryption, primarily because of the hassle in getting recipients to open encrypted emails. However, most acknowledged that the problem was fundamentally about user education.
Clients of Tenerife Solicitors will be pleased to note that we use a Datamail email encryption system, and all clients are invited to participate when communicating by email.
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