Keep data secure with Gmail confidential mode (beta)
Thursday, March 7, 2019
In addition to protecting sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates, you can also require additional authentication via text message to view an email. This makes it possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active.
- Admins: Gmail confidential mode Beta is available as an opt-in to all G Suite customers. Admins can opt-in to the beta by going to the Admin console and navigating to Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > User settings. Here they will be able to select the option to Enable confidential mode.
- End users: Once Gmail confidential mode is activated in the Admin console, users can send Gmail confidential mode emails. When they compose an email, there is a button to enable confidential mode for the email.
If users click on the button, it opens the Gmail confidential mode user settings dialog box where they can modify the settings:
- Allow users to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time
- Disable options to forward, copy, print, and download the email body and attachments
- Allow users to set SMS passcodes wherein recipients will get a passcode by text message to be able to access the email sent using confidential mode
- Let users choose to remove access early before the expiration date.
Additionally, if your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode, Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages. The message body of received messages will be accessible in Vault only if the sender of the message is from within your organization. Learn more about how Vault works for confidential mode messages here.
- Protect Gmail messages with confidential mode for admins
- Vault and Gmail confidential mode for admins
- Send & open confidential emails for end users
G Suite editions
- Available to G Suite editions.
On/off by default?
- This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the admin via the Admin console.
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