Email is Still the #1 Breach Vector – Are You Controlling What Happens After Send?

Sharing files externally remains essential for collaboration, but it’s also one of the biggest blind spots in enterprise security. Whether it’s with a vendor, customer, or third-party contractor, once a file leaves your controlled environment, the ability to maintain visibility and control typically goes with it. External sharing introduces risks like data sprawl, unauthorized access, and accidental exposure, especially when files are shared through unmanaged channels or without proper safeguards. These risks are compounded when sensitive files are shared frequently, without clear policies or security measures.

According to the 2024 Osterman Report about Email Security Threats, about 80% of organizations in critical infrastructure sectors have experienced data leakage through email in the past 12 months. This is probably due to the fact that once the “Send” button is clicked, organizations often lose track of where data ends up, who accesses it, and how it’s being used.

What Happens After You Hit Send?

1. Forwarding Free-for-All, Relationships Don’t Last Forever!

You might send a file with a clear purpose to a trusted recipient, but once it’s in their hands, it can be forwarded – intentionally or not – to anyone. This can include internal colleagues, external partners, or even personal contacts. The more people who receive the file, the harder it becomes to control its distribution and prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

2. Attachment Downloads and Offline Copies

Once a file is attached to an email, recipients can download it, store it on their local drives, upload it to personal cloud storage, or back it up to a USB drive. These copies may persist in environments with little or no security controls, thereby widening the threat surface and making them susceptible to data theft, loss, or unauthorized reuse.

3. No Expiry, No Revocation, No Control

Unlike secure collaboration platforms, standard email does not provide expiration controls or revocation capabilities. If an employee mistakenly sends the wrong file to the wrong recipient, there’s no easy way to revoke permissions. That file can continue to be accessed, shared, or stored indefinitely without oversight.

4. Data Sprawl and Audit Nightmares

As attachments are shared and re-shared, the number of copies and locations storing the file multiplies. This uncontrolled distribution leads to data sprawl, where sensitive files exist in places not tracked or managed by IT. During an audit, it becomes difficult to account for every instance of data, creating compliance gaps.

Problems with Traditional Email Security

• Email encryption protects content in transit, ensuring that the message and attachments are not intercepted. However, once the recipient decrypts and opens the email, the attached file becomes just another unprotected document, fully accessible without any built-in security.
• Password-protected attachments restrict access to the files without the correct password. However, this user dependency lowers the security level as users may share these passwords in the same or a separate email.
• Email DLP filters help flag or block certain content from being sent externally, but they operate at the perimeter. Once a sender is authorized, DLP typically does not intervene in the user’s action. It also lacks the ability to follow or control the file once it leaves the network.

Hence, organizations need a solution that protects the file itself, not just the container it travels in.

Fasoo Secure Mail: Persistent Protection for Sensitive Attachments

With its latest major update, Fasoo Secure Mail (FSM) extends enterprise-grade security to email and enables secure, efficient external file sharing at scale, a next-gen data loss prevention (DLP) solution for emails. It ensures that sensitive information is protected not only in transit but throughout its entire lifecycle, even after it leaves the organization’s perimeter.

• Sensitivity Labeling for Attachments: Users can label email attachments as Internal, Public, General, or Confidential, with a few clicks, automatically applying corresponding security policies that align with organizational data classification standards.
• Granular Permission Settings: Define how recipients interact with attachments, such as allowing or restricting view, edit, print, download, or setting expiration dates, so that file use is tailored to its sensitivity and purpose.
• Seamless External Sharing: External users can access encrypted files securely via a one-time verification code sent to their email. No software installation or account creation is required, making the experience smooth and accessible for partners, vendors, and clients.
• End-to-End Email and Attachment Encryption: Both email content and attachments are encrypted based on recipient type and enterprise policy, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data.
• Secure Web Portal: Users can view and edit encrypted documents through the web portal without downloading the files, thereby enhancing document security even in an agentless environment.
• Comprehensive Audit Logs: File interaction through email is tracked, enabling full visibility into who shared the file, when, where, and how, supporting compliance and investigative efforts.

FSM not only enhances email-based security but also streamlines the collaboration process. By embedding powerful protection into familiar workflows, it empowers employees to share sensitive content confidently and efficiently, both inside and outside the organization.

Regain Control Beyond the Inbox

The problem with email isn’t how often we use it, but how little control we have once a file is sent. With persistent file-level protection from Fasoo Secure Mail, you ensure that security policies travel with your data, enabling full visibility and control at every stage. By extending Zero Trust principles to email and file sharing, you can collaborate confidently, stay compliant, and drastically reduce the risk of sensitive data exposure.

Stop losing track of your data. Start controlling what happens after you hit “Send”.