◆Over 60% of workers have experienced mistaken wrong emails

According to an investigation regarding missent emails in the workplace conducted by information security company Digital Arts Inc., over 64.6% of employees have experienced sending wrong emails (target: 1,102 individuals employed in companies across the country, 332 individuals in charge of information systems.)
In addition to “mistaking the recipient,” some other real life examples of “sending mistaken emails” are “attaching the wrong file,” or “entering an address supposed to be BCC as TO or CC.” Many cases of “sending wrong emails” can result in information leaks.

◆Email is an essential work tool, so measures need to be taken

Due to the revision of the Personal Information Protection Law, the enforcement of the “My Number” system, and various information leakage problems in public institutions and major companies, all companies are being increasingly required to take security measures.
In these circumstances, it seems that there is a high number of cases in which information leaks out of the company through the email of an employee.
At the moment, email is an essential work tool. However, it has become such an inherent part of our everyday lives that the risk always exists that an employee will make a mistake using it.

◆Are the company’s internal rules well known?

In the same survey, 61.3% of employees replied “Not really” when asked whether there are rules in their workplaces regarding the exchange of emails with people from outside the company. On the other hand, 64.5% of the companies (persons in charge of information systems) replied that “There are rules,” making the gap evident.
It can be inferred that the internal rules of the companies are not well known among their employees.

◆New internal announcements are needed

As a result of recent leaks of customer information and confidential information from major companies, the number of employees who feel that there is a strong need to take measures to prevent these kinds of leaks from companies and customers is increasing.
Companies, too, need to consider measures conforming to their situation, such as renewed internal announcements regarding prohibited matters and company rules, the introduction of security softwares, and others.