With the average cost of a data breach at $4.35 million, the stakes are high. Sending sensitive information by mistake is a common and dangerous error. Whether it's customer's personal details, confidential business data, or sensitive financial information, one mistake can lead to serious privacy breaches and legal problems. A wrong email with important data can result in costly lawsuits, loss of customer confidence, and damage your professional reputation. This article explores important methods for redacting emails to protect sensitive information from unintended recipients. 

Why Should I Redact An Email?

1. Security Reasons

If a customer emails sensitive data like a Social Security Number (SSN), the business hosting that email server is liable if that SSN is leaked. After a data breach, affected customers will often jointly sue the company responsible via a class-action lawsuit. In these suits, multimillion-dollar settlements are the norm. According to a 2022 IBM report, the average total cost of a data breach is $4.35 million, up from 2021. For companies in "critical infrastructure," such as financial services or technology, this number rose to $4.82 million.

Unfortunately, one need not look far for real-world examples of this. This week alone, genetics company Ambry Genetics agreed to pay $12.25 million to customers affected by a patient data breach. The cause of the data? A hack of an Ambry email account. But even Ambry's leak pales compared to Robinhood's recent settlement of $20 million to victims of its data breach. These are just two examples from the past several weeks, to say nothing of the numerous examples in the years prior. Thus, the costs of inaction around data are high.

2. Legal Compliance

A data breach can result in a class-action lawsuit requiring your company to pay enormous damages, and it can lead to a host of other issues. For one, data breaches damage trust with existing customers. They may choose to take their business elsewhere. Data breaches also make potential customers think twice about working with you. After all, who wants to put their water in a leaky bucket? All in all, data breaches can be catastrophic for businesses. Consequently, data privacy is an area of increasing legal and political interest, as seen in the passage of legislation worldwide to protect consumers' data. In the United States today, there is a patchwork of different data privacy laws, each about a specific area. Internationally, the situation can look a little different.

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)  establishes a "right to delete" for customers for their data being held by a private company. This means companies must delete all data a customer created on their servers, should the customer ask. This "right to delete" law is one of the strongest worldwide. It has also led to similar privacy laws being adopted in the United States at the state level. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) similarly establishes the right to request that a company delete customers' information.

Though California's CCPA is comparatively strong, laws like this are still the exception, not the norm, in the United States. However, this is starting to change, with states like Colorado and Virginia recently passing similar laws. With a shifting legal environment, companies must be prepared to comply with data privacy requirements. It may be required for compliance like SOC2, PCI (Payment Card Industry) DSS.

3. Protecting intellectual property and confidential business information

Companies frequently send important information through email, such as trade secrets, business strategies, and confidential projects. If unredacted emails with this sensitive information are intercepted or sent to the wrong person, it could lead to theft of intellectual property or competitive disadvantages. Redacting emails helps protect this important business data, ensuring only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.

4. Maintaining professional reputation and customer trust

In sectors where confidentiality is crucial, such as law, healthcare, and finance, a company's image can suffer greatly if sensitive details are accidentally revealed. Clients and partners rely on the company to handle their information with care and reliability. By redacting emails as a precautionary step, the company shows its dedication to safeguarding confidentiality. This helps maintain the company's professional standing and nurtures continued trust with clients and stakeholders.

How can you manually redact an email?

Sender: If a sender accidentally sends an email containing sensitive data, the sender can recall the message.

Receiver: Once you receive an email that contains sensitive data, you can either delete or manually copy the email, mask the sensitive data, and send it back to yourself.

This is highly time-consuming, especially on a larger scale. Worse yet, it opens the door to human errors. In a data breach, even the tiniest oversight can open a company to legal liability, loss of customer trust, and significant expenses in damages.

Manual vs. Automated redaction

Manual redaction

• Cumbersome and error prone
• Not suitable for large data volumes
• Requires human effort to manually scan and change documents

Automated redaction

• Efficient process with no errors
• Works well for large data volumes
• Automatically detects and redacts specific data formats with advanced features

Manual redaction involves having someone manually scan and alter documents to redact private information. Although it provides extensive oversight, manual processes are cumbersome and error-prone when executed on a wide scale.

Automated redaction involves software that uses algorithms to identify and redact sensitive information. This technique improves efficiency, precision, and consistency. Large amounts of data can be processed swiftly by algorithms, lowering the likelihood of human error.Automated redaction software provides advanced features such as pattern recognition, allowing it to automatically detect and handle specific data formats like social security numbers, credit card numbers, and personal identifiers. 

Additionally, the software is context-aware, enabling it to differentiate between sensitive and non-sensitive instances of similar data. Users also have the option to either completely obscure or remove data, depending on their specific needs. This flexibility is especially important in contexts such as legal document processing, where the redaction method may be legally mandated.

Security and privacy considerations in email redaction

Data leakage prevention

Redaction is extremely important in reducing the exposure of sensitive material in email conversations. This is especially crucial when sharing emails with third parties, since the potential of data leakage is greater. Effective redaction ensures that only the relevant information is conveyed, reducing the danger of accidental data breaches.

Data masking techniques

Data masking is the process of protecting sensitive information (contact, credit card number, SSN, etc.) by concealing it with alternative data (such as random letters or symbols). If redaction is to provide a strong layer of data security, it must be irreversible once performed, such that the original

Encryption 

Protecting redacted files requires additional security steps, such as encryption. Encryption acts as a critical barrier, rendering intercepted documents unreadable to unauthorized parties and increasing their protection. Explore various encryption techniques, including AES and RSA, to determine the most effective approach for securing redacted documents.

Access controls

To make sure that workers only have access to data that is beneficial to them, several companies have adopted a system known as role-based access control (RBAC). According to the Least Privilege Principle, every user should only have the minimal amount of access required to stop illegal access or accidental data modifications. By requiring users to submit several verification factors, multi-factor authentication (MFA) decreases the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Monitoring and auditing

Monitoring access logs on a regular basis will help identify any efforts to gain unauthorized entry to sensitive data, allowing you to take preventative measures. UBA software can monitor typical patterns of user action and flag any deviations that can indicate the presence of malicious insiders. 

Businesses should have response mechanisms in place to promptly address any anomalies detected, thus reducing potential risks. Audit trails play a vital role in compliance with data protection regulations by providing a detailed record of document access and changes made. In the event of a data breach or legal inquiry, audit trails are invaluable for tracing actions and identifying the source of unauthorized access, thereby expediting investigation and resolution.

To further ensure employees retain the proper access to resources, it is important to undertake frequent evaluations of user access privileges, especially when employees change roles or leave the company.

Best practices for effective email redaction

Proper placement and formatting of redactions

• Precise identification: Make sure to accurately identify all sensitive information for redaction, including personal details, confidential business data, and any other information that needs protection. 
• Distinct redaction marks: Utilize clear and unmistakable redaction marks, such as black bars, to ensure the redacted information is fully obscured. The objective is to prevent any inference or reconstruction of the redacted content. 
• Uniform methodology: Ensure consistency in the redaction process. Maintaining the same approach throughout the document to minimize confusion, whether employing blackout, whiteout, or replacement text methods.

Maintaining document integrity

Non-destructive redaction involves redacting content without changing the document's format or layout, preserving the original integrity including font styles, spacing, and overall structure. Permanent redaction ensures that information cannot be recovered or retrieved once it is redacted, even with advanced software tools. Therefore,  keep a secure, unredacted backup of the original document for internal records and potential legal or compliance requirements.

Handling dynamic content like email threads

Email threads often have a complex web of information spread across multiple messages. It is essential to grasp the full context of the conversation to redact comprehensively. At times, it may be necessary to redact entire email threads to safeguard sensitive information, particularly when isolated redaction is inadequate within the given context. Rigorously maintain version control, especially when managing ongoing email discussions. This practice facilitates change tracking and ensures that all thread iterations are properly redacted.

Additional Considerations

• Maximize the use of automated redaction tools whenever possible. These tools are adept at managing large quantities of emails, recognizing patterns, and consistently and accurately redacting sensitive information. 
• Establish a comprehensive review procedure. After redaction completion, assign a different team member to inspect the document to ensure no sensitive information has been omitted. 
• Regularly provide training and updates to staff involved in the redaction process. It is essential to inform them about the most recent best practices, tools, and regulatory requirements for effective redaction. 
• Stay mindful of legal and compliance requirements related to email redaction.

Is there an automatic way to redact an email?

Yes, there is an automatic way to redact emails, and one such method involves using Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software.

DLP systems play a critical role in identifying and preventing unauthorized access or sharing of sensitive data. Scanning content and applying rules are essential for safeguarding sensitive information and enforcing data protection policies, especially in high-volume data environments.

Introducing Strac Gmail DLP: Strac Gmail DLP offers automatic masking of sensitive information in emails by identifying specific data elements such as Social Security Numbers (SSN), dates of birth (DoB), driver's license (DL) numbers, passport numbers, credit card numbers (CC), debit card details, and API keys. 

Authorized users can access the masked emails through the secure Strac UI Vault interface, ensuring only those with appropriate permissions can view sensitive data. The system also generates audit reports to track message access and timing, which is essential for compliance officers, risk managers, and security personnel to monitor data access and ensure compliance with regulations.

Advantages of Using Strac Gmail DLP

• Redaction efficiency: Strac Gmail DLP automates redaction significantly faster than manual techniques. This efficiency is especially important in situations when emails are frequently exchanged and include sensitive information.
• Reduced error rate: Automation decreases the likelihood of human error in the redaction process, resulting in improved data security.
• Compliance and risk management: Strac Gmail DLP helps organizations meet legal regulations and mitigate data breaches by providing comprehensive audit reports.
• Versatility in file handling: Strac DLP is not restricted to emails; it can redact information in various file types such as PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPEG, DOC, and XLS. Due to its flexibility, it offers a comprehensive solution for data protection in enterprises.
• Ease of integration: Strac Gmail DLP is user-friendly and does not require substantial setup time, making it accessible to enterprises of all sizes, with a stated 15-minute integration procedure.
• User access management: The system enables restricted access to sensitive information, ensuring that authorized persons only view unredacted material.

Is there an automatic way to redact an email?

Yes, there is an automatic way to redact emails, and one such method involves using Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software.

DLP systems play a critical role in identifying and preventing unauthorized access or sharing of sensitive data. Scanning content and applying rules are essential for safeguarding sensitive information and enforcing data protection policies, especially in high-volume data environments.

Introducing Strac Gmail DLP

‍Strac Gmail DLP offers automatic masking of sensitive information in emails by identifying specific data elements such as Social Security Numbers (SSN), dates of birth (DoB), driver's license (DL) numbers, passport numbers, credit card numbers (CC), debit card details, and API keys. 

Authorized users can access the masked emails through the secure Strac UI Vault interface, ensuring only those with appropriate permissions can view sensitive data. The system also generates audit reports to track message access and timing, which is essential for compliance officers, risk managers, and security personnel to monitor data access and ensure compliance with regulations.

Advantages of Using Strac Gmail DLP

• Redaction efficiency: Strac Gmail DLP automates redaction significantly faster than manual techniques. This efficiency is especially important in situations when emails are frequently exchanged and include sensitive information.
• Reduced error rate: Automation decreases the likelihood of human error in the redaction process, resulting in improved data security.
• Compliance and risk management: Strac Gmail DLP helps organizations meet legal regulations and mitigate data breaches by providing comprehensive audit reports.
• Versatility in file handling: Strac DLP is not restricted to emails; it can redact information in various file types such as PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPEG, DOC, and XLS. Due to its flexibility, it offers a comprehensive solution for data protection in enterprises.
• Ease of integration: Strac Gmail DLP is user-friendly and does not require substantial setup time, making it accessible to enterprises of all sizes, with a stated 15-minute integration procedure.
• User access management: The system enables restricted access to sensitive information, ensuring that authorized persons only view unredacted material.