--- title: 4 questions about secure emailing every CEO needs the answer to description: Secure emailing is a must for any CEO who values the reputation of their business. image: https://www.smartlockr.io/hubfs/Blog-Post-SmartLockr%20-%202021-07-28T140143.777%20(1).webp --- [![Smartlockr logo](https://www.smartlockr.io/hubfs/Smartlockr-logo.png) ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en?hsLang=en) - Product - [Product overview ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/product?hsLang=en) - [Integrations ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/integrations?hsLang=en) - Customers - [Case studies ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/tag/casestudy) - Team - [Management ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/teams/management?hsLang=en) - [IT specialist ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/teams/it-specialist?hsLang=en) - [CISO ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/teams/ciso?hsLang=en) - [End user ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/teams/end-user?hsLang=en) - Branches - [Healthcare ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-healthcare?hsLang=en) - [Municipalities ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-municipalities?hsLang=en) - [Finance ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-financial-services?hsLang=en) - [Legal ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-legal-industry?hsLang=en) - [Education ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-education?hsLang=en) - [Recruitment ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-recruiters?hsLang=en) - [Housing associations ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/branches/secure-email-housing-associations?hsLang=en) - [Pricing ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/pricing?hsLang=en) - Resources - [Blog ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog) - [Guides ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/resources?hsLang=en#guides) - [Webinars ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/resources?hsLang=en#webinars) - [Videos ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/resources?hsLang=en#videos) - [Partners ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/partners?hsLang=en) - Company - [Contact ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/contact?hsLang=en) - [Support ](https://support.smartlockr.io/hc/en-us?hsLang=en) - [Request more licenses ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/request-more-licenses?hsLang=en) - [Who we are ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/about-us?hsLang=en) - [Jobs ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/careers?hsLang=en) [![Free Consultation](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6122972/846d7346-3e53-4811-b976-8a3dd0a3f9ee.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6122972/846d7346-3e53-4811-b976-8a3dd0a3f9ee) # 4 questions about secure emailing every CEO needs the answer to [ Smartlockr ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/author/smartlockr) Aug 12, 2022 --- ![4 questions about secure emailing every CEO needs the answer to](https://www.smartlockr.io/hubfs/Blog-Post-SmartLockr%20-%202021-07-28T140143.777%20(1).webp) Being a CEO and managing an entire company is like fixing a car while driving it uphill. You're responsible for all the parts of your organization working in unison and simultaneously moving it forward as a whole. And that's not even counting the need to drive faster than the competition. So whenever someone from your IT department reaches out to you about the risk of data breaches and the need for [secure emailing](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/secure-emailing?hsLang=en), you'd be forgiven for treating it as one would the yellow *check engine* light: that light can mean a thousand things and some cars go for years driving without problem, so why not snooze the issue? The upside of ignoring the engine light is that you can continue to focus all your energy on driving. The downside is that at any given moment, your car can turn into a useless hump of metal. ![Blog-Post-SmartLockr-2021-07-28T140354.413 (1)](https://www.smartlockr.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog-Post-SmartLockr-2021-07-28T140354.413%20(1).webp?width=752&height=376&name=Blog-Post-SmartLockr-2021-07-28T140354.413%20(1).webp)  We'd like to save you some time by giving a quick recap of what every CEO absolutely needs to know about secure emailing. And then we'll show you how to take care of it without losing focus on the road ahead, in other words: how to take care of that yellow engine light without having to get up from the driver's seat. And trust us, you are not alone! According to a [survey from Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-11-18-gartner-survey-finds-88-percent-of-boards-of-directors-view-cybersecurity-as-a-business-risk), 57% of boards of directors have increased or expect to increase their risk appetite in 2021-2022   #### Do you know what to look for when choosing a secure email solution? [Click here to find out ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/how-to-choose-the-right-secure-email-solution-whitepaper?hsLang=en)   ## 4 questions you need to know the answer to:   ### 1. Is someone currently out to steal your company's data? And, should I worry? [Yes](https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/hacking-statistics/#gref). And, yes!. According to a [survey from Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-11-18-gartner-survey-finds-88-percent-of-boards-of-directors-view-cybersecurity-as-a-business-risk), 88% of Board of Directors view cybersecurity as a business risk, as opposed to a technology risk. And, it's not surprising given the increase in threats and vulnerabilities, and the rise of regulatory demands. In fact, in the past five years, this number has risen from 58% to 88%! It is important that the Management team and Board of Directors understand that security is an issue that affects the business, not just an IT problem. Gartner recommends that IT and security leaders work with executives and directors to establish governance that shares responsibility for business decisions that affect enterprise security. Data protection is a team sport, and cybersecurity should be on every CEO's agenda! “*It’s time for executives outside of IT to take responsibility for securing the enterprise*,” [said Paul Proctor, research vice president at Gartner.](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-11-18-gartner-survey-finds-88-percent-of-boards-of-directors-view-cybersecurity-as-a-business-risk)   ### 2. What causes data breaches? You. Or rather, [you and everyone who sends an email every now and then](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/employees-the-weakest-link-in-data-security-tips-that-help?hsLang=en). It's not because you or your employees are careless or actively trying to cause damage. It's because you're human. Most of the data breaches (74%!!) are caused by human error: simple mistakes, such as sending an email to the wrong recipient or accidentally attaching the wrong file. Pair this with a general lack of awareness on IT security, such as people using similar, often easy to guess passwords for different applications, people leaving their computers unlocked, clicking on phishing emails. The list of pitfalls is endless, and all it takes is one small mistake. No one can change the fact cyber criminals are actively seeking ways to compromise your privacy. What we can do is make it nigh impossible for them to succeed. That starts by knowing what causes data breaches (still you) and then investing in a data solution that tackles human error, increases awareness and subsequently prevents data breaches.   ### 3. What's the cost of secure emailing? That's a great question. It's also the wrong question. What you should be asking is: what's the cost of free emailing? Data breaches make headlines almost every day, yet countless organizations still rely on free services such as Dropbox or WeTransfer, to name but a few examples of "free" data solutions. The reason organizations often think of email security as a cost rather than an investment is because the true cost of not investing only becomes apparent when it's too late. Free data solutions aren't free. You pay with your reputation. Every day your employees send emails insecurely, your reputation is at risk. That's why your IT department might regularly reach out to you to talk about secure emailing. According to the latest data breach report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, [the average cost of a data breach](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/cost-of-a-data-breach?hsLang=en) increased 2.6% from USD 4.24 million in 2021 to USD 4.35 million in 2022. That makes sending out information to the wrong recipient a costly business!   ### 4. How can you ensure secure emailing? Or rather: how can you make the yellow engine light go away and shift your attention back to driving your company forward, all without so much as slowing down? Simply [click here](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/how-to-choose-the-right-secure-email-solution-whitepaper?hsLang=en) and discover: - what exactly makes an email safe - what secure emailing looks like - how to get secure emailing - how to make secure emailing easy and carefree It's like fixing that pesky engine light before your car falls apart. [![secure email solution](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6122972/6db550ee-b04f-45db-bc28-38788a164864.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6122972/6db550ee-b04f-45db-bc28-38788a164864)   [Secure Emailing](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/tag/secure-emailing) [![secure communication](https://www.smartlockr.io/hs-fs/hubfs/secure-communication-bp.png?width=336&name=secure-communication-bp.png)](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/request-demo?hsLang=en)   ### Whitepapers - [Is it safe to store data in a US-based Cloud provider?](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/whitepaper-is-it-safe-store-data-us-cloud-provider?hsLang=en) - [Good cop, bot cop: the truth about AI, ML and your privacy](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/whitepaper-ai-ml-and-data-privacy?hsLang=en) - [The 8 things you can expect from a partnership with Smartlockr](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/whitepaper-things-you-can-expect-from-partnetship-smartlockr?hsLang=en) - [How to choose the right secure email solution?](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/how-to-choose-the-right-secure-email-solution-whitepaper?hsLang=en) - [Keep your organization free of data leaks](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/keep-organization-free-of-data-leaks?hsLang=en) - [Smartlockr & Workspace 365: Prevent data breaches, work and communicate more securely](https://www.smartlockr.eu/en/safe-emailing-and-safe-workplace?hsLang=en) ### Popular Post [ Oops, I sent an important email to the wrong recipient. What now? ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/sent-email-to-wrong-recipient-what-now?hsLang=en) [ Is Microsoft 365 GDPR-compliant? Spoiler alert: no ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/is-microsoft-365-gdpr-compliant?hsLang=en) [ Recall sent emails to protect data: block emails, files and recipients ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/recall-sent-email?hsLang=en) [ Why Pentesting is a must for banks and financial services ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/why-pentesting-is-a-must-for-banks-and-financial-services?hsLang=en) [ Preventing misdirected emails with files and recipients confirmation ](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/confirmation-on-files-and-recipients?hsLang=en) ## Similar posts ### [Regaining Control: IT teams and user-friendly cybersecurity solutions](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/regaining-control-it-teams-and-user-friendly-cybersecurity-solutions?hsLang=en) Discover how user-friendly cybersecurity solutions are empowering IT teams to regain control and enhance security. Read more in our blog post IT Professionals Oct 16, 2023 ### [Working from home securely in 2021: 5 expert tips](https://www.smartlockr.io/en/blog/working-from-home-securely-in-2021-tips?hsLang=en) What did we learn about cybersecurity in 2020? Here you'll find the insights and tips from Workspace 365, Smartlockr, and interesting security... 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