Some organizations receive confidential e-mails and take specific steps to protect and label these e-mails.
locate and integrate at least two quality, academic resources (in addition to your textbook) on the protection and labeling of confidential emails. You may also use government websites, such as CybersecurityLinks to an external site. from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Please respond to the following in a post of at least 200 words:
Describe the methods organizations use to protect and label confidential e-mails.
Identify and describe any laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), or legal requirements, such as eDiscovery, by which organizations may be required to abide.
Provide full citations and references, formatted according to Strayer Writing Standards.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all supports. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Organizations handle sensitive information electronically, and confidential emails require specific safeguards. Here, we explore methods for protecting and labeling these emails, while acknowledging relevant legal considerations.
Protection Methods:
Encryption: Encrypting emails renders the content unreadable by anyone without the decryption key. This is vital for highly sensitive information like financial data or trade secrets (National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], Special Publication 800-161, 2017).
Access Controls: Implementing access controls restricts who can send, receive, and view confidential emails. Multi-factor authentication or user permission levels can be used for this purpose (Mimecast, n.d.).
Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP systems scan emails for keywords or patterns indicative of sensitive information. If detected, the system can block the email, prompt for confirmation, or encrypt the content automatically (NIST, Special Publication 800-161, 2017).
Email Archiving: Emails, especially confidential ones, are archived for a specific period based on organizational policies and legal requirements. This allows for retrieval in case of audits, investigations, or eDiscovery (University of Texas at Arlington, n.d.).
Labeling Approaches:
Email Headers: Confidential emails are often marked with prominent labels in the header, like “Confidential” or “Attorney-Client Privilege.” This serves as a visual cue to alert recipients of the sensitivity of the content (Mimecast, n.d.).
Email Body Disclaimers: Disclaimers within the email body reiterate the confidentiality of the information and outline restrictions on use or sharing. This reinforces the importance of handling the information responsibly.
Legal Considerations:
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): The GDPR, a European Union regulation, mandates data security measures for personal data processing by organizations. Organizations operating within the EU or dealing with EU residents’ data must comply with the GDPR’s requirements for data protection and breach notification (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).
eDiscovery: eDiscovery refers to legal processes for discovering electronically stored information, including emails. Organizations must have procedures in place to preserve and produce relevant emails during lawsuits or investigations. This emphasizes the importance of proper email archiving and labeling for confidential emails (University of Texas at Arlington, n.d.).