Exclaimer’s The UK Business Email Report, based on a survey of 1,003 UK IT leaders, underscores email's enduring role as the primary communication channel—averaging 52% of organizational interactions—while exposing it as the leading vulnerability amid escalating phishing, impersonation attacks, and regulatory pressures. With 83% of respondents reporting at least one email-related security incident and 49% within the past year, the findings highlight the inbox as a critical national attack surface, particularly in high-stakes sectors.
The survey reveals a stark tension: email's indispensability clashes with its exposure. IT leaders in government (92% incident rate), finance (87%), and legal (85%) sectors face heightened risks due to regulatory demands, while tech firms (75% breaches) contend with hybrid tool sprawls. This "Mail Jail" phenomenon—where messages trigger compliance or reputational issues—amplifies strain, as attackers exploit human error in phishing (44% interacted last year) and AI-enhanced scams (70% see increased success). “Attackers go where the people - and the mistakes - are. Our data shows UK enterprises often still treat email as routine plumbing, yet it’s implicated in over a third of security incidents and rising,” said Cary Vidal, VP of IT & Security at Exclaimer. “The answer is to apply layered controls, automate the basics and build trust into every message. That’s how organisations turn the inbox from their weakest link into a source of security, compliance and professionalism.”
High-accountability industries bear the brunt, with government lagging in advanced tools like AI detection (26%) despite MFA adoption (44%). Tech leads with robust measures: filtering (63%), training (59%), MFA and AI (both 53%). Overall, 81% rank email alongside IM tools as critical, driving widespread defenses—training (47%), filtering (46%), MFA (41%)—yet gaps persist in balancing security with usability.
Despite pressures, 87% foresee email's centrality through 2030, evolving via enhanced encryption (45%), collaboration integrations (41%), and AI automation (41%). Well-managed signatures boost trust (89% agreement), positioning email as a brand asset in regulated fields. The report, conducted April 2025 with Censuswide and Clarity across 4,009 IT pros in UK, US, Germany, and Australia, calls for proactive layering to mitigate risks.
Exclaimer’s insights emphasize urgent inbox fortification, transforming email from vulnerability hotspot to compliant, efficient cornerstone for UK enterprises navigating AI threats and regulatory evolution.
Exclaimer is the leading provider of email signature management solutions for Microsoft and Google email services. Its scalable cloud-based platform enables organisations to centrally manage and automate email signatures, ensuring regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and brand consistency. Built for IT teams, Exclaimer simplifies administration by eliminating manual updates, reducing security risks and maintaining full control over business email communications.
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