Email Leaks: What you Need to Know
Every month there seems to be a new high profile LEAKED EMAIL in the news. Whether it is an internal email accidentally forwarded to the wrong person, or hacking incidents that expose customer information and data, the consequences can be devastating.
Leaked Email
Email leaks are more common than you may think and the majority of them are caused by human error. Having good data handling and security practices, such as not reusing passwords, and having the right email security technology in place can help mitigate these mistakes. But even the best of us can make mistakes and when those emails land in the hands of hackers or spammers the results can be catastrophic.
For instance, in 2021 the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk had his private email leaked by hackers who were trying to get a leg up on their competition by gaining access to proprietary information and client lists. The same year, Dignity Health – one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. – lost 5,947 patients’ private information when an employee failed to use BCC when forwarding a report on a patient’s medical treatment to multiple people.
Email leaks aren’t just damaging to the reputation of organizations and individuals, they can have significant financial implications as well. In addition to the costs of repairing damage done by an accidental leak, companies may face fines from regulatory entities for leaking confidential or sensitive information.