What happens when confidential emails are accidentally sent to the wrong recipient? This is an easy mistake to make, however, once you’ve sent the email, there’s no getting it back. If the recipient publicizes the information, your business could be in deep trouble in terms of liability, loss of customer confidence, and reputational damage.
So You’ve Sent a Confidential Email to the Wrong Recipient – How Can You Fix the Situation Now?
While the sending of confidential information may have been unintentional, the information was still wrongfully disclosed. Mistakes happen, however, this is a mistake that must be fixed immediately. If the email contained highly sensitive information, legal advice may be required to resolve the issue.
How Can You Prevent This Type of Information Disclosure in the Future?
Whether you’ve experienced this type of information disclosure before, or you’re looking to prevent the sending of confidential information in the future, email encryption is absolutely mandatory to protect your customers, employees, and business reputation. While email encryption will protect you in the event of sending information to the wrong recipient, email encryption will also protect you from the most dedicated hackers trying to intercept your communications.
When you send an unencrypted email, the information is sent as plain text via web. This allows hackers or unintended recipients to access the information without hassle. An encrypted email, on the other hand, is sent as jumbled text to ensure unauthorized individuals cannot read it without the decryption key.
How Does Encryption Work to Ensure Unauthorized Individuals Cannot Read the Information?
Email encryption uses two individual keys – one private and one public. The public key is available to recipients while the private key remains confidential to you. The pair of keys work together to protect information. If you send an email and encrypt it using the private key, the recipient must enter the public key to decode the information. If the email is sent to the wrong recipient, the information will be jumbled until it’s decrypted. And the wrong recipient won’t be able to decrypt it without the public key.
Ultimately, email encryption is critical for various reasons, from preventing cybercriminals with malicious intent to complying with regulatory requirements. If you’re sending confidential emails on a regular basis, email encryption is necessary to protect sensitive information.
To learn more about email encryption, give us a call at {phone} or send us an email at {email}. {company} can help you select and implement the right email encryption solution for your unique needs.
