To continue from my previous posts, here are the last two reasons why email isn't the best way to send large, confidential files.

Reason #4: Email systems aren’t secure enough for today’s business needs

Emails are routed over the public internet in clear text without any encryption. It's similar to carrying confidential papers in a see-through briefcase; if the wrong people look hard enough, they'll see exactly what you don't want them to see. With online security becoming more critical every day, company risk and employee liability are very real factors when dealing with private data.

Beyond encryption, other issues demonstrate the need for further security features not provided by standard email systems. With confidential information, it's imperative that the right person gets the file. Using an email application, this is performed simply by entering in an email address - and when programs auto-fill the wrong sender from an address book, one careless mistake can be devastating to a company's and its client's proprietary data.

In a situation like that, how can you actually tell that the email was sent to the wrong person? You could call the intended recipient to check to see if they got it or you could check your Sent folder to verify the address. In other words, no automated tracking and notification process exists for the end-user to control this.

From an IT perspective, how can the IT department centrally control and manage corporate communication when it comes to sending proprietary information? With email, this remains in the hand of the end-user, leaving critical files to the whim of hurried employees under deadline pressure.

Taking a further step back, the needs for encryption and security are starting to come from the rapid increase in government-sanctioned encryption/security and data privacy requirements...such as HIPAA, SOX, GLBA and various state-level data privacy breach notification laws. Legislation such as these acknowledge the growing reliance on online communication to expedite business and information sharing; yet at the same time, these acts create rigid standards that must be met by IT departments in their respective industries.
 

Reason #5: Email transfer is unreliable, untraceable, and can't be guaranteed.

Here is an amusing video on why email was invented, which playfully shows how unreliable the safe delivery of "snail" mail can be. However, I would argue that email is not much more reliable either, especially when you're trying to send confidential data or business-critical documents.

How many times does the question "Did you get my email?" get asked every day? When emails fail to arrive quickly, there could be any number of reasons - files sent as email attachments can be delayed or blocked due to server issues, the files could mistakenly be considered as a security threat or spam and thus sent into the junk folder, or the email may have been simply overlooked by the receiver because of the numerous emails bombarding us every day.

For snail mail, the US Postal Service gives the option to pay extra for notification, tracking, and delivery confirmation. Email systems don't natively come with those options. There’s simply no way to tell when or if a file was downloaded, whether the download was successful, or when that download occurred. In addition, because email attachments have no tracking system to verify who receives them, proprietary information can be inadvertently exposed.

Each year, the size of application files grows bigger and bigger. At the same time, size and security restrictions increase due to a growing focus on confidentiality and protection. Ultimately, every passing day further antiquates the use of email for large file transfer. Imagine if, in the video I mentioned above, the mail that the dogs were demolishing contained thousands of dollars in cash or precious diamonds. Well, emailing private data and sensitive files through regular email is not much different. What you really need is a file transfer solution built for business end-users and IT managers.

Here is a downloadable e-book with the complete "Top 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Use Email For File Transfer".