How do you securely send sensitive information?

1 Define your purpose

Before you decide how to send sensitive information, you need to define your purpose and your audience. What kind of information are you sharing, and why? Is it confidential, personal, or regulated? Who needs to receive it, and how often? How urgent is it, and how long does it need to be stored? These questions will help you determine the level of security, privacy, and compliance you need, as well as the most suitable format and channel for your message.

2 Choose your format

When deciding on a format to send sensitive information, you should take into account size, encryption, authentication, and metadata. Size is important as larger files may take longer to upload, download, or open and consume more bandwidth or storage space. Some formats may support encryption, meaning the information is scrambled and can only be decoded by authorized parties with a key or password. Authentication may also be necessary for recipients to verify their identity or credentials before accessing the information. Additionally, some formats contain metadata which can reveal sensitive or personal details that you may not want to share. Therefore, it is important to consider all of these factors when choosing your format.

3 Choose your channel

Once you have chosen your format, you must decide on the channel you will use to send the information. There are many options available, such as email, instant messaging, cloud storage, intranet, or internal social media. Each of these channels has its own benefits and drawbacks in terms of security, reliability, and functionality. When selecting a channel, consider factors like encryption, authentication, access control, audit trail, and notification. For example, end-to-end encryption ensures that the information is encrypted from sender to recipient and cannot be accessed by anyone else in transit or at rest. Additionally, authentication may be necessary for recipients to access the information. Moreover, access control enables you to set permissions for who can view or edit the information. Furthermore, an audit trail allows you to monitor activity and history related to the information. Finally, notifications may alert you or recipients when the information is sent, received, opened, or modified.

4 Follow best practices

When sending sensitive information, it is important to ensure that it is done securely. To do this, you should use strong passwords or keys to encrypt or authenticate the information and not share them with anyone. Additionally, you should use trusted and reputable tools and platforms that comply with the relevant standards and regulations for your industry or sector. Once the information is no longer needed or relevant, it should be deleted or archived, and any unnecessary copies or backups should be avoided. Finally, both yourself and the recipients of the information should be educated on the risks and responsibilities of handling sensitive information, and any incidents or breaches should be reported immediately.

5 Review and test

Before sending sensitive information, review and test it to guarantee accuracy, completeness, and security. Content should be clear, concise, and relevant without any errors or inaccuracies. The format should be compatible and accessible for recipients without compromising the quality or integrity of the information. The channel should be available and reliable for recipients without causing any delays or disruptions in delivery or reception. Additionally, the information should be encrypted, authenticated, and protected from unauthorized or malicious access or use. By adhering to these steps, you can securely send sensitive information within your organization and improve internal communication effectiveness and efficiency.