Safeguard Your Email to Safeguard Your Business

Email is an integral part of everyday business. From internal management to marketing outreach to direct customer support, we’re sending and receiving vast amounts of critical communication via email.

And although our various in-boxes are often overflowing with messages, the benefits of using email as a primary business tool still outweigh the negatives. But that doesn’t mean you should just set it up and forget about it. You’ll want to take precautions to make sure your customer and business information stays protected.

Here are 5 ways to make your company email safer and more efficient:

Set up Spam filters

Spam filters go a long way toward keeping suspicious and potentially damaging emails out of employee in-boxes. Not only does this cut down on the overall number of emails received, it cuts way down on the risk of people opening suspect emails and/or clicking on unsafe links that could lead to viruses or data breaches.

Train your employees on how to use email responsibly

Your IT department may be knowledgeable about these issues, but do your employees know the risks associated with day-to-day email exchanges? Malware and phishing schemes are becoming smarter and more sophisticated. Your staff needs to follow suit.

Protect sensitive information sent over email

Many assume their work emails are both private and confidential, but this may not be the case. If you don’t have to send sensitive information via email, don’t. If that’s not practical, you can help minimize risk by using encryption tools or file sharing services.

Implement an email retention policy

Many industries have strict requirements about how long they have to hang onto their emails. A clear, well-written policy will not only help you manage high volumes of messages, it will also keep you in compliance.

Develop an email use policy

Unfortunately, employees aren’t always responsible with their use of email. Setting specific guidelines for what is and isn’t appropriate can help protect you from the threat of data breaches or litigation stemming from careless use of company email.

Many people don’t think twice about sending or opening an email, but these simple actions don’t come without risk. Make sure your email isn’t doing more harm than good by investing in some basic security tactics. Your business (and your in-box!) will thank you.

Is your broker thinking outside the benefits box? Are you confident your policies and processes are doing what they need to ensure that your company—and your employees— are healthy and productive? At Sonus Benefits, this is what we do for St. Louis employers every single day.