As a Data Protection Officer or Chief Information Security Officer, you know better than anyone how important data security is to the organization. Take this broader, and you also know that email security plays a major role in this. However, email security doesn’t always get the right attention. And that’s a pity, because not anticipating the safety risks can have bad consequences.
Read more: Why does management need a secure email solution?
Seeing is believing. And that certainly applies to limiting safety risks. It is important to be able to show the correct information and figures.
By demonstrating these figures, more urgency can be created and the importance of email security is made clear. For example:
If you analyze business data, you will see that the vast majority concerns sensitive information. Not only from your organization, but especially from customers and relations. And no one wants for this kind of information to fall into the wrong hands.
Regulations such as the GDPR, HIPAA or CCPA, oblige organizations to take appropriate technical and organizational measures. Always with the aim of securely processing, storing and sharing data. For some organizations a hassle, while this eventually has benefits for the organization. Those who meet security regulations, indicate that they take data security seriously. And while you do so, it also increases the confidence to do business with you. Those who show that data security has an important role, can count on growing confidence from their customers - something that can give you an advantage over the competitor.
"Email security can become a competitive advantage for our company:
- We are committed to protecting our customers' data and data privacy is our priority;
- The confidence to do business with us will increase;
- We will maintain and improve our brand's value;
- We are supporting our customers' wishes to respect their privacy rights."
Without any doubt, email security is an investment. Where cyber crime used to be seen as a hobby, it is now serious business. Malicious people are making it increasingly difficult for us nowadays, for example with phishing emails that can’t always be distinguished from the real ones. Or malware that comes with included links, which can cause major problems if your employees click on them these links.
Not investing in email security means that you don't take into account external factors that can ultimately be disastrous for your organization. Unsecure processing can eventually lead to:
However, that’s not all. There are also financial consequences involved. And for some, disastrous. Although a cyber-attack is not always effective and data leaks are not a daily occurrence, the consequences of one successful attack can be determining for the success of your organization. Some of these costs are:
| Email security investment | Potential costs associated with a data leak: |
|
|
The amount of these costs depends, among other things, on the size of your organization and the leak. But one thing is certain: the costs of email security do not outweigh the costs of a data breach.