Email Do’s & Don’ts Refresher

Today, email is the predominate form of communication for many. With cybersecurity being a top concern, it’s worth reviewing email do’s and don’ts to make sure you’re taking precaution when communicating digitally.

The latest newsletter from the SANS Institute reminds us that there are many common email features that could cause trouble. First, be mindful of autocomplete. Email accounts often save our contacts and automatically complete the send field, so you don’t have to memorize every email. This can be dangerous if autocomplete doesn’t assume the correct address. You could inadvertently email sensitive information to the wrong person.

Second, check the Cc and Bcc fields. Senders often “carbon copy” or “blind carbon copy” others on email chains. If your reply is not meant for the group, be careful not to hit reply all. It’s actually a very common mistake. The same goes for distribution lists, which could contain hundreds or thousands of email addresses.

To give yourself a helpful refresher course on email best practices to protect your personal information, read the entire SANS newsletter here: https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/

Check back next month for another cybersecurity post!