[Closed] MS Outlook recall - how effective? Data breach issue.

convert · 2017-04-18T19:01:29Z

Just testing the water with the IT geeks out there who might know..... How effectively does MS Outlook recall work? Specifically when the emails are being sent outside of the organisation to a range of different email accounts (gmails, iclouds, yahoos, company emails etc) We were on holiday last week and in my wife's absence her line manager (company director/part owner) sent an email out to a very (1500) large number of people but did it such a way that all contact information was viewable to all recipients (something to do with a limit of 100 from a Bcc). She went into my wife's account(directors have full access to all employee's email accounts and go in frequently) and did it from my wife's email address so it looks like she made the error. The people on this email really [u]really[/u] should not be able to see who else was sent information. They sent a recall about an hour later when they realised what they had done. Walking into work this morning to a bombard of complaint emails Mrs C was mortified. It's an industry where your reputation is built on your ability to work confidentially and the email list included personal friends as well as just about everybody who is everybody. She thinks her personal reputation is in tatters. I fear she might be right. She wants, nay demanded, that the company director that used her email address sent out a communication making it clear that it was not Mrs C's error but so far they are refusing as they are trying to get to bottom of how many emails got recalled before being read (can you do this?) and don't want to highlight the problem to people who didn't notice? I think the other reason is the director is pretty teflon and clearing Mrs C would mean implicating herself. My wife was all up for resigning and walking away from them (this was a final straw) but appreciates they will just ensure it looks like it was her fault if she does. Currently considering her next steps, getting a lawyer involved etc. Future at the firm is not the issue - getting away with a reputation to get another job is more the motivation. So how effective is an outlook recall? My wife's personal email address was on the list and she got it. 50% of her friends she's checked with did too.

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Last Post by edlong 8 years ago

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Rich_s

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Bloody hell - sounds awful. You might have grounds for defamation in there too. Expensive to follow it up though. Qv Katie Hopkins.

Go see a good employment solicitor and soon. Good luck!

Posted : 17/05/2017 5:47 pm

edlong

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email address isn't classed as sensitive data from a DPA perspective, so the ICO wouldn't be that concerned

Sorry, only just read this, and it's not necessarily true - because the context of the email might itself reveal something sensitive about the owner. There was a case a couple of years ago of a non-b.c.c. email going out to service users of an HIV clinic, for instance.

No idea whether or not this would be relevant in the OP's situation, but he / they will obviously have an idea.

Posted : 17/05/2017 6:02 pm

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