Emails - what can you do about them?

By DT Information Governance Ltd

26 Apr 2024

Email Lightbulb.jpg.jpg

If you read the news, social media or even the Information Commissioner’s website (decision notices and reprimands!), emails seem to be the cause of quite a few incidents and data breaches.

They can generate a lot of data to search when dealing with requests and they can take up extra storage space.

Having emails in different email accounts or in a mixture of personal and business email accounts can lead to confusion or missed opportunities.

Fewer emails retained in your email system will help improve efficiency and reduce costs for storage and backups (no matter how minimal this cost is).

What can we do about them?

Here are some email tips to help.

  1. Don’t use personal email accounts for your business. Avoid the confusion and keep work and private life, well emails at least, separate. It also helps with security. Your work email may have more security than a personal one in one of the common free email services.
  2. Remember, work emails are not generally private, especially if working for a company or organisation with other employees. Think about how you write an email. It may have to be disclosed to someone or be viewed by others in the future.
  3. Clear out or delete email addresses from the autofill on a regular basis. Start typing a name on an email and click the little X or delete symbol. This won’t stop this problem but it may reduce the risk of sending emails to the wrong email address.
  4. If you can, share a link to a document or file rather than sending the actual document. This will reduce duplicate copies being stored and questions about “which is the latest version”.
  5. Email chains – if you are replying, do you need to reply with all the previous emails in the ‘chain’. When you create the reply, can you delete some of the older replies from the end of the email? This also applies to the tiny font messages that are seen on signature blocks. How many times do you need to have everyone’s “If you are not the intended recipient… or this email has been virus checked“ in the reply.
  6. Delete emails regularly. Do you really need to keep all the emails you receive? If you can’t delete, then can the email be moved to a filing system of some sort? This may be individual folders for the subject, a collaboration folder on Teams, SharePoint or Google Drive. Can the email be moved into an electronic software system record?
  7. Follow the two-second rule before sending. Stop, check the email and the words before clicking on send. Are you sending a reply in haste or ‘anger’? Stop and think. Is that reply necessary or can it be worded differently?
  8. If you have to send sensitive information by email, can you encrypt the email? Is it password protected (always send the password by a different means such as text). Is there an alternative to sending the information by email? Do you have a secure area or online service that the recipient can log into?

There will be a lot of other tips and techniques you can use to reduce the risks from email. These are just a few.

Get in touch with Debbie at DT Information Governance if you would like advice and support on email management.

Latest news

1

Bellway to build 183 high quality new homes Royal Bowland Park street scene NEW.jpg.jpg

Bellway to build 183 high quality new homes

29 Oct 2025

2

University of Lancashire recognised for entrepreneurship and supporting business growth - Representatives from the University's Business School, local SMEs and the IOEE

University of Lancashire recognised for entrepreneurship and supporting business growth

29 Oct 2025

3

£8bn Typhoon order is great news for Lancashire BAE Typhoon ECRS Mk2 Radar

£8bn Typhoon order is great news for Lancashire

28 Oct 2025

4

Award-winning Lancashire wedding venue and hotel is sold The Mill at Conder Green

Award-winning Lancashire wedding venue and hotel is sold

28 Oct 2025

5

PM+M announces another 19 promotions across the firm PM+M promotions

PM+M announces another 19 promotions across the firm

27 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
November / December 2025 Magazine Launch Event
Holiday Inn Hotel
Networking
28 Oct 2025 - 18 Nov 2025

November / December 2025 Magazine Launch Event

Holiday Inn, Blackpool

16:46 - 16:45

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human
2.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity
1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

The Business Network Central and East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
13 Nov 2025 - 13 Nov 2025

The Business Network Central and East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin