Nearly 80% of local and central government employees rely on email to get the job done. The reason for this is simple; email is universal. Unlike alternative communications platforms, email does not require time-consuming training; it is not disruptive or difficult to implement from an IT perspective. Residents do not need to create accounts, download applications or jump through hoops to access or request information. 

However, IT leaders are all too familiar with the security flaws here. In fact, according to our latest research, 45% of security leaders are concerned about data loss through employee email errors. 

According to the ICO, in 2022* local and central government bodies reported the third highest number of data incidents, second only to the healthcare and education sectors. 

The reputational damage of a data leak for a public sector organisation is incalculable, comparable only to the devastating financial impact. Of the reported incidents in 2022, nearly 90% were non-cyber related incidents - i.e. non malicious attacks.

To put this in perspective, over 400 incidents were due to human error, including information accidentally emailed, faxed or posted to the wrong person, failure to redact, and misuse of Bcc. These four incidents accounted for more than half of all incidents reported to the ICO in local/central government. In comparison, only 10 incidents were the result of malware and ransomware. 

Due to its decentralised nature, security protocols are not widespread across email. The beauty of email lies in its ability to get a message from point a to point b as quickly and efficiently as possible, regardless of the sending and receiving client. This means data is often unencrypted and left open to inception during transit or when at rest. 

80% of IT leaders believe smarter email security will reduce employee security errors

That is not to say that training does not have a place in the public sector. Educating employees in digital security best practice is very important. However, people require more than compulsory training to harness and develop digital skills that have a truly positive impact in their day to day work. 

It stands to reason that, wherever possible, the best course of action is to simplify digital initiatives. Ultimately, employees must be empowered by technology to deliver quality services for residents, without putting data at risk.

What next? 

Embracing email without accepting its flaws

How to leverage smart technology designed to integrate with M365 to empower employees to communicate securely, compliantly and confidently.