But that doesn’t make it right or so the saying goes.  I had a recent conversation with the head of Info Security for a big energy company.  We were discussing messaging and how he spends a great deal of his time reacting to things that have happened – a mis-directed email, release of sensitive information, etc. rather than being able to get out ahead of the incidents.

He summed up his frustration with this statement – how are you going to get all users to follow the rules and adhere to the "speed limit" when in many cases it may not even be posted.  This is a reference to the challenges with not only describing unauthorized usage, but authorized. 

It also speaks directly to the nature of enterprise email and how all users push the limits to get their jobs done – including, as he admitted, himself.

So, what do you do to build awareness without bringing traffic to a halt?  My belief is that you can’t force everyone to "go the speed limit" but you can create increased awareness and reduce "speeding" with the right balance of enforcement and accountability.  Why else would municipalities invest in those unmanned radar speed signs?

It provides personal feedback (your speed) that you can then act on (slow down) or ignore (continue or speed up) without immediate 3rd party enforcement (a police officer). 

Awareness goes up and speeds go down. 

This is the main thinking behind SenderConfirm and our belief that regaining control over email is not about catching people doing things wrong, but putting the right amount of technology in place to remind folks when they may need to re-think that email they just sent.