How to Send Secure Confidential Emails to Customers

Staying connected with your customers matters - and email is still where much of that conversation happens. An estimated 80% of users check their inboxes daily.

Email is convenient and flexible. Yet with around 3.4 million emails sent every second, it is not always the safest way to share sensitive information with customers.

Why Do Emails Need to Be Secure?

As a business, you often exchange sensitive information through email that could cause real harm if accessed by unauthorised parties.

This includes data such as full names, addresses, phone numbers, and bank details of your customers.

Criminals with access to this data can exploit it for malicious purposes, such as:

• Using card information to make purchases.
• Applying for credit cards or loans in the victim’s name.
• Submitting fake tax returns to claim refunds.
• Using health insurance details to access private medical care.
• Selling private information on the dark web.

For organisations that manage large volumes of data, maintaining customer trust is crucial.

A significant 33% of UK businesses that experience data breaches lose customers as a result. Securing customer email helps reduce that risk.

Why Are Emails Not Considered Secure?

Emails were originally developed as a file-sharing system at MIT in the 60s. They were not designed with the security controls needed for today’s usage.

This makes them vulnerable to cybercriminal activities such as:

Phishing: Attackers trick users into clicking on dangerous links, leading to harmful websites or downloading malware.

Interception: Threat actors position themselves between you and the data source, gathering personal information like usernames and passwords.

Impersonation: By mimicking legitimate companies, cybercriminals persuade individuals to share sensitive data.

Besides these threats, human error is also a major factor. Businesses are 61% more likely to send sensitive data to the wrong recipient than to fall victim to phishing.

How Can You Make Email Secure?

Several strategies can help businesses secure their emails and safeguard customers' information from cyber threats.

Encryption

Encryption allows you to disguise the contents of your emails and attachments.

The process uses ‘keys’ to lock your data, preventing unauthorised access.

End-to-end encryption helps protect messages from sender to recipient.

Explore email encryption in more detail.

Identity Authentication

Authentication, such as multi-factor checks, is increasingly common.

Email authentication ensures recipients prove their identity, using methods like:

SMS: A code sent via text.

Q&A: A personal question only they can answer.

Biometrics: Face or fingerprint recognition.

Message Revoke

We’ve all sent an email to the wrong person.

Revoke tools block access after the fact.

Outlook has a basic recall option, but it’s limited. Mailock offers a full revoke feature that works instantly across providers.

Secure Email

The best protection combines all these methods.

Our Mailock solution includes:

• AES-256 encryption
• Multi-factor authentication
• Full message revoke
• Free read and reply for clients
• Message tracking and audit trails

FAQs

Why Are Ordinary Emails Risky for Customer Information?

Standard email can be forwarded, misaddressed, intercepted, or opened by the wrong person without extra controls.

Which Controls Make Customer Emails Safer?

Encryption, recipient authentication, secure replies, message revoke, and message tracking all help reduce exposure.

When Should Customer Emails Be Sent Securely?

Use secure email when messages include personal data, financial details, legal documents, health information, or other confidential content.

References

How Many Emails Does the Average Person Receive Per Day?, Earthweb, 2024

People Sent 74 Trillion Emails Last Year, Earthweb, 2024

What Do Hackers Do With Stolen Information?, Experian, 2023

UK B2B Research Summary, RedSeal, 2019

History of Email, The Guardian, 2016

Reviewed by

Sabrina McClune, 18.06.24

Sam Kendall, 31.05.26

This content is for general information only and is not legal advice.