Sending attachments via Outlook
Data that requires protection and sensitive information often have to be sent to people.
Email is most often used to send files.
Sending files as email attachments is easy and convenient. However, it poses various security risks because by default and as a rule, emails and their attachments are transmitted to recipients unencrypted.
In addition, depending on the email provider, there are usually restrictions on the weight of file attachments and often certain file formats are not permitted as attachments.
In addition, the file attachments also take up valuable storage space on the email server, which is often noticeably limited by the email provider for your email account.
In addition, many people are prohibited by law (GDPR) from sending personal data via email – for example, those subject to professional secrecy such as doctors, notaries or lawyers.
The Outlook add-in from TeamDrive
For users of the Microsoft Outlook email program, TeamDrive offers an Outlook add-in for the purpose of securely sending files, i.e. an extension of the standard functions of the Microsoft Outlook application. However, this add-in is only available to Windows users.
If you have installed the Outlook add-in in your Outlook and add a file to your email as an attachment, for example by dragging and dropping the file into the email window in the usual way, the Outlook Add-in active and asks you whether you want to send the attachment unencrypted or encrypted.
If you choose the unencrypted version, the file attachment will be sent insecurely (because it is unprotected) over the Internet.
If you choose the encrypted version, the TeamDrive app will automatically generate a download link for this file and insert it into your email text.
Note: As an alternative to the link in the text, you can also have an attachment added to your email, in which the download link is integrated.
When the recipient receives your email, they can click on the download link in the email and download the file.
The download is of course also highly secure because it is completely end-to-end encrypted. Decryption takes place automatically on the file recipient’s PC.
By the way: The recipient does not have to be registered with TeamDrive or a TeamDrive user!
To further increase security, you can also assign a password as access protection. The recipient must enter the password correctly before the download starts.
You can also limit access to your download offer in time. After your specified deadline has expired, the recipient will no longer be able to access the file via this download link. Important: Only the availability of the download link will be terminated and not the download file from the TeamDrive server or the copy of this file located locally on your PC will be deleted!
Another advantage is that the file weight of the file to be transferred does not matter. You are not subject to any limitations in this regard.
And as always with TeamDrive: all activities and measures are legally logged in the activity log (audit trail). This means you can always track who sent what data to whom and when.
You can optionally customize the download page, which the recipient is taken to when they click on the download link in the email, according to your corporate design specifications (company logo, company colors, etc.).
Read more about TeamDrive’s traceability feature through activity log, which ensures that legal requirements (GoBD) for working with electronic data are met in this regard.
You can also read more about what services the TeamDrive solution provides you with for the GoBD-compliant handling of electronic data
You can also find out more about GoBD in general
Advantages of the Outlook add-in
Here is an overview of all the advantages of the Outlook add-in that you gain from using the add-in or sending files securely via download link: