It was never intended to be a secure method of sharing confidential documents. There are a few ways you can take to ensure that your sensitive information is protected when it is sent via email.
Email disclaimers are a great tool for any business who regularly exchanges confidential data via email. Lawyers, psychologists and financial professionals are among those who frequently send confidential information from clients, such as dates of birth, Social Tax ID or Security numbers, medical records and other information that can be used to identify someone.
A confidentiality statement will make clear to recipients that the information contained in the email is not shared with other parties and is not an agreement in law. These confidentiality disclaimers are not legally binding under any circumstances in the United States without the express written consent of the recipient to form the contract.
Email disclaimers can also be used to protect classified information and trade secrets. Trade secrets are compilations or formulas that a company believes are important to its competitiveness, such as the Coca-Cola recipe or the Google algorithm. Classified information is data that a government agency determines warrants protection to ensure national security or foreign relationships, such as information from intelligence sources.
Sending emails that are encrypted from end to end is the best way to safeguard private information. This type of encryption encrypts the email, as well as any attachments, so that only the intended recipient can read the contents. It is easiest to use an email provider that can support this, such as Protonmail or Mailfence. If you want to ensure the highest level of privacy, you should choose an email service in Europe that is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation.