An employee accidentally sends an e-mail meant for their partner to a client, or inadvertently bulk-mails the entire firm embarrassing stories about a colleague.
Worse still, the same defamatory e-mail is sent to an entire list of customers.
It used to be that such incidents could be laughed off over a pint after work, but recent legislation and compliance issues mean a simple slip-up can have disastrous consequences for individuals and companies.
United States-based oil refiner Chevron Corp famously paid US$2.2 million to four female employees to settle a sexual harassment suit because of an e-mail circulated in the company that listed 25 reasons why beer was better than a woman. MessageLabs Asia-Pacific technical director David Banes said: 'Employee use of e-mail is becoming a compliance minefield.
'The main problems are the speed and informality with which e-mail is used by employees ... and the almost total absence of management control of the content of such communications within and outside the company.'
MessageLabs' solution is an e-mail content filtering service that lets companies use technology to enforce their e-mail policies.
