Email is crucial for many small businesses that need to send sensitive, confidential information both within and outside the organization. Given its importance, businesses must have an email compliance guide to prevent exploitation and data loss. According to AppRiver, a cybersecurity company, emails are responsible for 35 percent of all data loss incidents among enterprises.
Email Compliance Guide
Here are five steps from AppRiver to help small businesses create email compliance standards to protect sensitive information.
1. Determine Applicable Regulations
Start by identifying which regulations apply to your company. Ask questions like: What requirements are needed to demonstrate email compliance? Do these regulations overlap or conflict? Based on these regulations, decide if you need separate policies for each or one comprehensive policy.
Some regulations small businesses might encounter include:
– Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) – regulates the transmission of identifiable patient health information.
– Sarbanes-Oxley Act (S-OX) – requires companies to establish internal controls for accurate financial information.
– Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) – mandates policies and technologies to secure customer records during transmission and storage.
– Payment Card Information Security Standards (PCI) – ensures the secure transmission of cardholder data.
Understanding these regulations helps design effective compliance strategies, minimizing regulatory violations and enhancing email security.
2. Identify Sensitive Data and Set Protocols
Based on the relevant regulations, identify data considered confidential, such as credit card numbers, electronic health records, or personally identifiable information, that is sent via email. Determine who should have access to this data and create enforceable policies using technology to encrypt, archive, or block certain email content.
Implementing access controls and setting protocols are key steps to protect sensitive data. Establishing these measures and using advanced security technologies can significantly reduce unauthorized access or data breaches.
3. Monitor Data Leaks
Track the types of data users send via email to identify any losses. Determine if breaches are happening within the business or among specific groups of users, and address these vulnerabilities with additional policies.
Proactive monitoring and handling of data leaks maintain the integrity of your email systems. Robust tracking mechanisms allow early detection of breaches, enabling swift action to mitigate damage.
4. Enforce Policies with the Right Solutions
Choosing the correct solutions to enforce your policies is as important as the policies themselves. Solutions might include encryption, data leak prevention (DLP), email archiving, and anti-virus protection. Selecting tools that integrate with your existing infrastructure ensures effective protection without hindering business communication.
A comprehensive approach using multiple technologies offers strong defense against both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.
5. Educate Users and Employees
An effective email compliance policy emphasizes user education and proper policy enforcement. Since human error is a common cause of data breaches, training users on secure email practices is critical.
Regular training ensures that employees understand proper email usage, the consequences of non-compliance, and how to use the necessary technologies comfortably. This approach minimizes the risk of data breaches and maintains long-term compliance with email security regulations.
Empowering users with knowledge and tools to recognize and avoid email threats strengthens your organization’s security culture. Regular training and updates on policies and best practices ensure employees are aware of risks and their role in protecting sensitive information.
To summarize, following these five steps can help your business create an effective email compliance policy that safeguards sensitive information and enhances security. With targeted education and robust enforcement mechanisms, your business can reduce the risk of data breaches and demonstrate a commitment to data security and privacy.
