Email remains the most important medium for communications both inside and outside the enterprise. But the convenience and ubiquity of email as a business communications tool has exposed enterprises to a wide variety of legal, financial and regulatory risks associated with outbound email. Enterprises continue to express a high level of concern about creating, managing and enforcing outbound messaging policies (for email and other communication protocols) that ensure that messages leaving the organization comply with internal rules, best practices for data protection and external data protection, encryption and privacy regulations. In addition, organizations remain very concerned about ensuring that email, the Web and social media tools cannot be used to disseminate confidential or proprietary information.

This report summarizes the findings of Proofpoint?s seventh annual survey of enterprise attitudes about outbound email, content security and data protection. Its goal is to "take the pulse" of IT decision-makers with respect to outbound messaging and data loss issues and to help raise awareness of the policy, technology and cultural issues surrounding email and Web monitoring, data protection and information leaks. Read on to learn more.