In 2022, with over 1.6 billion Gmail users, it’s no wonder that Google’s email platform has been a primary target for attackers. In response, Google has beefed up security features in recent years – one of the most important being the confidential mode. This Gmail feature allows users to send emails with sensitive information more securely by encrypting the message and allowing the sender to set an expiration date. In this article, we’ll explain Gmail’s confidential mode, how it works, and how you can use it to protect your email messages from being read by unauthorized individuals.

What is Gmail Confidential

Gmail confidential mode is a high-security feature that can be used to protect your email messages from being read by unauthorized individuals. This mode provides high security for your emails by encrypting them and adding password protection. You can also set an expiration date for your confidential messages, which will automatically delete them after a specified time period. Lastly, Gmail confidential allows you to revoke access to a message anytime, even after it’s been sent.

How Does Gmail Confidential Work – Sending Emails in Confidential Mode

Confidential mode is relatively new in Gmail, so make sure it’s switched on.

To ensure you can access secure mode, create a new message and look for the confidential mode icon in the bottom toolbar. If you hover over it, Confidential Mode will appear as an option.

Step 1. Select the confidential mode icon.

Step 2. Enter the information for when you want the email to be deleted and whether you’d like the recipient to provide SMS text message verification.

Step 3. Make your email message as you usually would, and you should now see a badge indicating that you are in confidential mode.

Step 4. Send the email as usual. If you’ve opted to send an SMS, you’ll need to provide a phone number.

Step 5. You can access your message in your Sent folder, where you’ll be able to disable any of these options at any time.

This is how you can send an email in confidential mode. Now let’s take a look at how a recipient opens a confidential email.

Receiving Emails in Confidential Mode

When you enable confidential mode, there are two types of recipients to consider: Gmail users and non-Gmail users.

When you send a confidential email to a Gmail user, it’s really simple:

The Forward button is disabled, and a banner explains to the recipient “Won’t have the option to forward, copy, print, or download this email.” Besides this, the email looks and feels just like any other.

When you send a confidential email to a non-Gmail user, they’ll receive an email with a link to open the message. The body of the email will explain that the sender used confidential mode and that they need to click the “Open Message” button to view it

After clicking the “Open Message” button, the recipient will be asked to enter a passcode sent via SMS. Once they enter this code, they’ll be able to view the message.

Tips For Using Gmail Confidential Mode

Using a confidential mode is a great way to protect your email messages from being read by unauthorized individuals. Here are some tips for using it safely and effectively:

• Make sure that you have the latest version of Gmail, as the confidential mode is a new security feature.
• When creating a confidential message, encrypt it using a strong password.
• You can also choose to set an expiration date for your confidential messages, which will automatically delete them after a specified time period.
• If you are sending confidential information to someone who does not have a Gmail account, be sure to warn them about the message’s expiration date.
• Always log out of your Gmail account to prevent others from accessing your messages when you are finished using it.

By following these tips, you can help ensure that your confidential messages remain safe and secure.

Block Incoming Confidential Mode Messages

Follow the steps in this section to create a compliance rule that would block incoming confidential mode messages from your domain.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console – Make sure to sign in with your administration account.

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Compliance.

3. Point to the Content compliance setting and click Configure. If you’ve already set up rules for other sorts of mail, choose a rule and click Add another rule.

The Add setting dialog appears, where you’ll enter a name, select the message type to match, and define what action to take based on the message.

4. In the Add setting dialog, enter the following information:

• Select a name for the new rule.
• Make sure the boxes for Inbound and Outbound emails to influence are selected.
• Choose If any of the following match the message from the drop-down menu.
• Click Add, then Metadata match in the Expressions box.
• From the Attribute drop-down, choose Gmail confidential mode, and for Match type, choose Message is in Gmail Confidential mode.
• Click Save.

5. In the next section, which identifies what to do if the expressions match, choose to Reject the message.

6. (Optional) Enter a custom rejection message that is automatically sent to the blocked message sender.

7. Click Save.

It can take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect.

Using Gmail Confidential Mode – Explained

We all use email for sensitive communications, such as financial information, work conversations, and personal matters. You might think that these emails are safe from prying eyes because they’re stored on your computer or phone. But what if someone else gains access to your device? Or what if your email account is hacked?

That’s where Gmail confidential mode comes in. This mode provides high security for your emails by encrypting them and adding password protection. In this article, we explained how this mode works and how you can use it to keep your messages safe.

If you ever run into IT support issues or have questions for your business, make sure to contact the IT experts at CNG IT!