What Is Secure Email? Encryption & Authentication Explained

Secure email solutions use email encryption and identity authentication to protect email contents from interception, manipulation, and error, and to ensure messages are delivered to the right people.

Secure email services often include other features such as outbound email risk warnings, message audit trails, and access controls to provide additional protections against the most common threats.

They play an important part in outbound email security.

"When email interception is a constant threat, safeguarding sensitive information shared outside your systems is just as important as stopping cyber criminals from getting in."

— Paul Holland, Founder, Beyond Encryption

Contents

• Who Is Secure Email for?
• Why Is Secure Email Important?
• How Does Secure Email Work?
• What Can Secure Email Protect Against?
• What Email Data Needs Protecting?
• What's the Best Secure Email Solution?

Who Is Secure Email Designed for?

Secure email solutions can be used by anyone who needs to send sensitive information or documents and ensure that they reach the right people.

Most often though, secure email is used by businesses that regularly deal with confidential customer information and have a duty to protect it.

Business secure email services enable you to deliver information to customers, colleagues, and partners without exposing it to email risk.

"Companies have a responsibility to ensure that sensitive data, especially the personal information of their customers, remains confidential and secure."

— Adam Byford, Chief Commercial Officer, Beyond Encryption

Why Is Secure Email Important?

Email was invented in 1971 but is now one of the most widely used communication tools by both consumers and businesses.

The thing is—it was never designed for the security of sensitive data.

Email providers have added measures over the years to reduce risk.

However, the core technology of the email network still leaves sent messages vulnerable to interception, manipulation, and error.

And as society increasingly depends on email, the amount of sensitive data being sent has only grown.

This expansion gives cyber criminals more opportunities for exploitation.

• Half of UK businesses were victims of data breaches in 2023/4.
• Email is the top channel associated with data incidents.
• Human error is the top cause of email data incidents.

A secure email solution provides protection against these threats, ensuring that email messages always reach the right people, safely.

"With cyber threats escalating, both from cyber criminals and state actors, secure email is no longer a 'nice-to-have'—it's a critical component of any business's communication strategy."

— Emily Plummer, Marketing Director, Beyond Encryption

How Does Secure Email Work?

Secure email services work just like email, with added security.

Let's look at the most common features associated with secure email.

End-to-End Email Encryption

Encryption is the process of scrambling an email message and any attached files so it can't be accessed by third parties.

End-to-end encryption is when email content is encrypted directly on the sender’s device before being sent, and only decrypted once it lands in the recipient’s mailbox (from one 'end' to the other).

End-to-end encryption makes sure that email data remain safe, as it can't be accessed even if a message is intercepted.

Learn more about email encryption.

Email Authentication

Email authentication is vital for verifying identity in secure email solutions, and can play different roles:

• Account authentication can be used to add an extra layer of security to an email account itself, during the login process.
• Recipient authentication is used to verify the identity of email recipients before they can unlock encrypted messages.

Secure email services can provide multiple options for authenticating the identity of email recipients including the use of SMS codes, identity document scans, and question-and-answer challenges.

Authentication methods give secure email users the ability to make sure their recipients 'are who they say they are'.

This is especially important for businesses that must prove information is delivered to the right people for regulatory compliance.

Learn more about email authentication.

Email Revoke

Email revoke allows you to block access to a message after sending it.

Email revoke can protect data in scenarios that commonly cause breaches, such as sending a message to the wrong person.

Unlike email recall, which is limited and dependent on specific conditions (like a message being unopened), secure email solutions provide more comprehensive email access management functionality.

Secure email solutions can offer unilateral email revoke, enabling users to block access to any message anytime, even after it’s been opened.

Not only is this a recovery method for mistakes, it gives senders peace of mind that if they do make an error, there's a way to take it back.

Watch an interview with our CEO about email recall and revoke.

"Integrating secure email into daily operations shouldn't disrupt—it should enhance workflows while providing peace of mind."

— Mike Wakefield, CTO, Beyond Encryption

Email Audit Trails

Secure email solutions can provide comprehensive logging and reporting capabilities to assist with auditing and regulatory compliance.

For example, some may record all recipient interactions with a message including opens, downloads, and revoke calls.

Senders can track the status of outbound emails and opt to receive notifications when their messages are opened.

In sectors such as financial services, audit trails are vital as confirmation of delivery is required for many transactions.

Learn more about financial services email compliance.

Email Risk Warnings

Secure email solutions can provide senders with warnings regarding the risk of their outbound messages.

A solution will scan the contents of an email message for common criteria associated with sensitive information and suggest appropriate security measures that should be applied.

Some solutions are also designed to ask senders to double-check recipient email addresses before pressing 'send'.

These warnings can provide vital prevention capabilities at the same time as training users to take care with outbound data.

Learn why personally identifiable information needs protecting.

What Cyber Threats Can Secure Email Protect Against?

Secure email solutions are designed to protect data against the most significant and concerning email risks.

Phishing Attacks

In a phishing attack, a malicious third party sends an email impersonating a legitimate source, such as a bank or reputable company.

They try to trick the recipient into clicking a link or giving up sensitive information, including passwords or financial information.

According to research, 81% of organisations around the world have experienced an increase in email phishing attacks since 2020.

Email authentication can create a trusted connection between senders and recipients so they can ensure messages are legitimate.

Email Interception

Email interception is when an attacker interrupts the communication between two parties, allowing them to eavesdrop on the conversation or modify the contents of messages.

When information is transmitted in an unsecured email, attackers can gain access without the sender or recipient being aware.

End-to-end email encryption protects messages from interception by locking the contents before they are sent.

Human Error

Many people will relate to the ‘oops!’ moment when you realise you've sent an email message to the wrong person.

Studies show that over 88% of all business data breaches are caused by employee mistakes. These incidents can result in reputational damage and fines if emails contain customer information.

Email revoke and email risk warnings can prevent sensitive data from being sent in error (or misdirected).

Recipient authentication can also help prevent issues caused by email misdirection. Even if an email is sent to the wrong address, unintended recipients may be unable to open it.

What Email Data Needs Protecting?

There are specific types of data that are considered sensitive under UK law and regulatory guidelines.

It's important for businesses and their employees to be aware of what sensitive data is, so it can be protected.

Personal Data

Personal data includes any information that can be used to identify an individual, such as name, address, or phone number.

Cyber criminals can use this type of information to commit identity theft or for other fraudulent purposes.

Financial Data

Financial data includes any information related to wealth and financial transactions including bank account details and credit card numbers.

Third parties who can gain access to this data can create fraudulent accounts, steal funds, and commit a host of financial crimes.

"Protecting financial information isn't just about compliance—it's about maintaining the trust our clients place in us every day."

— Carole Howard, Head of Networks, Beyond Encryption

Medical Data

Medical data is usually associated with medical records and contains sensitive information including personal data and health history.

Legal Data

Legal data is usually associated with legal documents such as contracts and contains information related to legal proceedings.

Intellectual Property Data

Intellectual property includes information relating to proprietary assets such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

Industry Focus: Financial Services

Because the financial sector handles high-value transactions and sensitive customer information, it is especially attractive to cybercriminals.

When asking our financial services customers what type of documents they use secure email to protect, we found that:

• 45% regularly protect anti-money-laundering documents.
• 61% regularly protect proposal and policy documents.
• 42% regularly protect investment valuations.
• 50% regularly protect banking details.

It's clear that for financial services professionals, exchanging sensitive information by email is critical to business continuity.

What Are the Consequences of Failing to Protect Data?

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) can impose fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of their annual turnover for businesses who do not apply appropriate protections to their data.

While the financial impact of a breach or attack can be severe and substantial, the reputational damage can be worse.

Businesses that fail to adequately protect client privacy see acquisition and retention levels fall, and the impact can be long-lasting.

What Is the Best Secure Email Solution?

If you're looking for the best secure email service for your business, there are some key criteria to consider.

Encryption Strength

Many email providers natively use TLS (Transport Layer Security). Others use PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). These are both forms of encryption.

While TLS and PGP have limitations, they are generally considered secure when properly implemented.

TLS encrypts data in transit but doesn't protect emails at rest or provide end-to-end encryption.

PGP offers end-to-end encryption using algorithms like AES-256 and is suitable for protecting sensitive data

For robust security, messages should be secured with at least AES-256 encryption, the standard used by the military.

Authentication Type

Depending on the level of security and flexibility you need, you should also be mindful of authentication methods.

Do you want recipients to authenticate themselves using an SMS code, using a secret, or by providing biometric data such as a fingerprint?

Each of these has trade-offs in terms of ease of use and security.

Integration Options

Exploring the integration capabilities of a secure email solution is key to ensuring operational efficiency for your organisation.

For example, our own solution offers an integration with Unipass Identity, a single-sign-on for professionals in the financial sector.

Learn more about our secure email integrations.

Ease of Use

An unbreakable secure email solution is ineffective if it's not user-friendly for both senders and recipients.

Offering a solution that doesn’t seamlessly fit into pre-existing workflows runs the risk of being circumvented by users.

Choosing a secure email tool that provides the right user experience is vital for embedding it within core processes.

Read our review of the best secure email services.

Securing Your Emails - Essential to Business Operations?

With the increasing risks of phishing, interception, and human error, coupled with the strict penalties for data breaches, investing in a robust secure email solution is more than a best practice—it's a critical component of modern business operations.

Organisations can protect sensitive data by offering a solution with strong encryption, versatile authentication, and user-friendly features. This helps them comply with regulatory requirements and maintain their reputation.

Securing email for your business is a proactive step towards safer digital communications for your colleagues and your consumers.

FAQs

What Is a Secure Email?

Secure email uses encryption and authentication to protect messages from interception and unauthorised access, ensuring only intended recipients can view them.

What Is the Difference Between a Secure Email and a Regular Email?

Regular email lacks encryption, leaving it vulnerable, while secure email adds features like encryption and authentication to protect content and verify recipients.

How Do I Know If I Have Secure Email?

You have secure email if your provider offers features like encryption, recipient authentication, and email tracking or revocation—check your provider’s security settings.

How Do I Make Sure My Email Is Secure?

Use a provider with strong encryption, enable 2FA, update passwords regularly, and verify recipient identities before sharing sensitive information.

Is Gmail Considered Secure Email?

Gmail offers strong in-transit encryption and 2FA but lacks end-to-end encryption, making it less secure for highly sensitive data.

How Do I Send a Secure Email From My Phone?

Use a secure email app or enable encryption and authentication in the app’s settings when composing your message.

References

51 Must-Know Phishing Statistics for 2023, IT Governance, 2023

Cost of a Data Breach 2023: Financial Industry Impacts, Security Intelligence, 2023

Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2023, UK Government, 2024

Data Security: An Analysis of 2022 ICO Breach Reporting, Beyond Encryption, 2023

The Devastating Business Impacts of a Cyber Breach, Harvard Business Review, 2023

"Psychology of Human Error" Could Help Businesses Prevent Security Breaches, CISO Mag, 2020

Reviewed by

Sam Kendall, 05.12.24

Sabrina McClune, 05.06.24