Google Mail Security Features

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As you get ready for the new school year and begin using your school email more, you may notice some new-to-you message appearing.  These are designed to help you ensure that you are sending information to the correct emails - preventing you from sending sensitive information to the wrong person OR the wrong email address!

The first is a "did you mean...?" warning.  Often you may have multiple emails for the same person -
This seems to pop up when you are sending to multiple people, and one of the people you are sending to has multiple emails at different domain extensions - and the one you are not using matches the other person/people you are sending to.  Above, I selected Dan's .com email but John's .org email.  Since I have another email for Dan that is .org, it prompted the Did you mean question. 

The second is a warning when you are sending to someone outside your domain that is not in your contacts -
Again, a great way to prevent sending sensitive information to the wrong place/person.

As always, a couple Public Service Announcement reminders for you:
  • NEVER send student information of any kind to emails outside your domain.  This is very insecure, and a clear violation of FERPA. 
  • Best practice is to not put any student information (i.e. name) in the subject line of your email...ever; you never know when a recipient might be projecting their computer in their classroom to students, not good if they have notifications on that show new email subject lines. 

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