Document ID: EUP-001
Version: 1.0
Effective Date: ____________________
Approved By: ____________________
Last Review Date: ____________________
Next Review Date: ____________________
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Email Usage Policy is to establish requirements for the secure, responsible, and appropriate use of the organization’s email systems and electronic messaging services. This policy helps protect organizational information, reduce cybersecurity risks, ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations, and promote professional business communications.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- Employees
- Contractors
- Consultants
- Temporary workers
- Interns
- Volunteers
- Board members
- Vendors
- Third-party service providers
- Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
- Any individual authorized to use organizational email services
This policy applies to:
- Organization-provided email accounts
- Cloud email platforms
- On-premises email systems
- Mobile email access
- Shared mailboxes
- Distribution lists
- Automated email systems
- Email gateways
- Email archiving systems
This policy applies regardless of whether email is accessed:
- On-site
- Remotely
- From home
- While traveling
- Using organization-owned or authorized personal devices
3. Policy Statement
Organizational email systems shall be used primarily for authorized business purposes in a manner that protects organizational information, supports business operations, and complies with applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and organizational requirements.
Users are responsible for ensuring that email communications are professional, accurate, secure, and appropriate.
4. Guiding Principles
The organization follows these principles:
- Professional communication
- Protection of organizational information
- Cybersecurity awareness
- Confidentiality
- Responsible communication
- Regulatory compliance
- Individual accountability
- Secure information sharing
5. Authorized Use
Organizational email may be used for:
- Business communications
- Customer communications
- Vendor communications
- Internal collaboration
- Approved project work
- Business notifications
- Authorized marketing communications
- Other approved organizational activities
Limited personal use may be permitted provided it:
- Does not interfere with business operations
- Does not violate organizational policies
- Does not consume excessive organizational resources
- Does not create security risks
- Does not violate applicable laws
6. User Responsibilities
Users shall:
- Protect their email credentials
- Review recipients before sending messages
- Verify attachments before transmission
- Report suspicious emails promptly
- Use professional language
- Protect confidential information
- Follow organizational data handling requirements
- Use approved encryption methods when required
- Exercise caution before clicking links or opening attachments
7. Email Security
Users shall remain alert to email-based threats, including:
- Phishing
- Spear phishing
- Business Email Compromise (BEC)
- Malware
- Ransomware
- Credential harvesting
- Social engineering
- Fraudulent invoices
- Impersonation attacks
Users shall immediately report suspicious emails to the IT Department or Information Security team.
8. Sending Sensitive Information
Sensitive or regulated information transmitted by email shall be protected using approved security controls.
Where appropriate, protections may include:
- Encryption
- Secure email gateways
- Password-protected attachments
- Secure file sharing platforms
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) controls
Users shall verify recipients before sending sensitive information.
9. Attachments
Users shall:
- Open attachments only from trusted sources
- Scan attachments where technically feasible
- Verify unexpected attachments before opening
- Avoid sending executable files unless specifically authorized
- Use approved file-sharing methods for large files
Unauthorized or malicious attachments shall not be distributed.
10. Hyperlinks
Before selecting hyperlinks, users shall:
- Verify the sender
- Confirm the legitimacy of the destination
- Exercise caution with shortened URLs
- Report suspicious links
Users shall not intentionally access malicious websites.
11. Distribution Lists and Shared Mailboxes
Distribution lists and shared mailboxes shall:
- Have designated owners
- Be used only for approved business purposes
- Be periodically reviewed
- Restrict membership to authorized users
- Follow least privilege principles
12. Email Retention
Email records shall be retained according to:
- Business requirements
- Legal obligations
- Regulatory requirements
- Contractual obligations
- Organizational Record Retention Policy
Users shall not delete records subject to litigation holds or regulatory preservation requirements.
13. Personal Email Accounts
Organizational business shall not be conducted through personal email accounts unless specifically authorized.
Users shall not:
- Forward confidential information to personal email accounts
- Store business records in personal email systems
- Circumvent organizational email security controls
Exceptions require management approval.
14. Automatic Forwarding
Automatic forwarding of organizational email to external email accounts shall be prohibited unless:
- Specifically approved
- Required for legitimate business purposes
- Protected by appropriate security controls
15. Email Signatures
Where required, users shall use approved email signatures that may include:
- Name
- Job title
- Organization
- Contact information
- Approved legal disclaimers
- Branding requirements
Users shall not create misleading or unauthorized signatures.
16. Monitoring
Organizational email systems may be monitored for:
- Security threats
- Malware detection
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Compliance
- Incident investigations
- Operational support
- System maintenance
- Legal obligations
Monitoring shall be conducted in accordance with applicable laws and organizational policies.
Users should have no expectation of absolute privacy when using organizational email systems to the extent permitted by applicable law.
17. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Email
Users shall use approved AI tools responsibly when drafting, reviewing, or responding to emails.
Users shall not:
- Submit confidential or regulated information to unapproved AI services
- Send AI-generated communications without appropriate human review
- Use AI to create fraudulent, misleading, or malicious emails
- Circumvent organizational security controls using AI tools
AI-generated content shall be reviewed for accuracy, confidentiality, professionalism, and compliance before transmission.
18. Reporting Security Incidents
Users shall immediately report:
- Phishing emails
- Suspicious attachments
- Malicious links
- Credential compromise
- Unauthorized email access
- Business Email Compromise (BEC) attempts
- Data leakage through email
- Email policy violations
Security incidents shall be handled in accordance with the Incident Response Policy.
19. Exceptions
Exceptions require:
- Documented business justification
- Risk assessment
- Management approval
- Information Security approval where applicable
- Compensating security controls
- Periodic review
20. Responsibilities
Executive Management
- Support secure email communications
- Allocate appropriate resources
- Promote cybersecurity awareness
Managers
- Ensure employees understand this policy
- Support policy compliance
- Report policy violations
IT Department
- Maintain email infrastructure
- Configure email security controls
- Maintain spam and malware filtering
- Support secure email services
- Monitor system health
Information Security
- Define email security standards
- Monitor email threats
- Investigate email-related security incidents
- Assess compliance
- Conduct phishing awareness training
Users
- Use email responsibly
- Protect organizational information
- Exercise caution with email communications
- Report suspicious activity promptly
21. Compliance
Compliance with this policy is mandatory.
Violations may result in:
- Restriction of email access
- Removal of system access
- Disciplinary action
- Contract termination
- Legal action where applicable
22. Policy Review
This policy shall be reviewed at least annually or following:
- Significant technology changes
- Security incidents
- Regulatory updates
- Organizational restructuring
- Audit findings
23. Related Policies
- Information Security Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Internet Usage Policy
- Computer Use Policy
- Data Classification Policy
- Data Protection Policy
- Authentication Policy
- Password Policy
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Policy
- Remote Access Policy
- Email Retention Policy
- Record Retention Policy
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Acceptable Use Policy
- Logging and Monitoring Policy
- Incident Response Policy
Document Objective
This Email Usage Policy establishes the organization’s requirements for the secure, responsible, and professional use of email and electronic messaging services. It provides a vendor-neutral framework for protecting organizational communications, preventing email-based cyber threats, safeguarding sensitive information, and supporting compliance across on-premises, cloud, remote, and hybrid work environments. This policy aligns with recognized security frameworks and standards, including NIST CSF, ISO/IEC 27001, CIS Controls, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, and the FTC Safeguards Rule.