Email has become the most popular method to send information quickly, efficiently and economically. It’s a fast and efficient alternative to traffic jams for face-to-face meetings as well as postal delays interruptions of fax machines and busy telephone lines. The convenience of email can obscure its inherent dangers when it comes to sharing sensitive documents.

Once the sensitive data leaves your server you are in no way in control over the destination or who sees it. Even if you’ve got email encryption, which provides an extra layer of security, it will not protect against the kind of “man-in-the-middle” attacks that could occur if an individual could get your email message it was in transit.

It is best to use an outside company that is specialized in secure documents exchange. This will ensure that the documents of your customer’s private never fall into the unintentional hands of. Using a secure system for document exchange lets you know who views and edits your customer’s data.

If you are required to send confidential information via email, the best practices and a supportive NDA can help you navigate the risks. For example limit the number specific information items you send to the minimum needed to complete your task and avoid including them in multiple emails. Use a password protected file instead of putting it in an email, or include a confidentiality statement in your emails. No matter which method you choose to use, be sure to clearly define your expectations in your NDAs to the recipients of confidential information.