What are the basic steps to try out Safeguard Send Core?
- Sign up for a free trial or a subscription on Microsoft Azure Marketplace (search for “Sperry Software”).
- A default rule is created for you in this process. The rule will cause a prompt to occur whenever you send an email outside your company.
- You receive the URL to a manifest file when you sign up. This manifest XML file will be needed by your IT Admin to install the add-in.
- Safeguard Send Core requires that an IT Admin install the add-in into Microsoft Admin Center, the IT Admin needs the manifest file and can then perform the installation following these step-by-step instructions.
- After installing, send an email to say, a Gmail or Yahoo address to see the warning prompt.
What rules are available by default in SSC?
SSC can implement 5 different rule types:
- Prompt the user when sending an email that has any recipient not having the same domain as the user.
- Prompt the user when sending an email with more than N recipients.
- Prompt the user when sending an email with more then N attachments.
- Prompt the user when replying to all.
- Prompt the user when sending to specific email addresses or domains. For example, gmail.com or yahoo.com.
What can be customized?
Many aspects of the add-in can be customized. For example, additional domains can be added so that they are counted as internal (useful if your company has more than one domain, or you frequently send emails to a trusted company (like an outsourced IT administration firm). Changes to the wording of the titles and text (but not the button text) can be made and additional rules can also be implemented similar to our flagship product, Safeguard Send for Microsoft 365 can be made including creating a warning when users are going to use a reply-to-all. See the list of version differences (and the customization request forms above) to learn what features are available.
If we request customizations, and more than one rule is enabled, how is that handled?
When a user sends an email the Safeguard Send Core add-in evaluates all the rules in order and once a violation is found, it presents the user with the details. The user can then choose to send the email at which point the email gets sent – there is no further processing of the rules. If on the other hand the user chooses to not send the email and instead goes back and revises something then sends the email again, the rules are again evaluated (in order).
Note that this is exactly like Safeguard Send for Microsoft 365, which also evaluates each rule and shows the prompt only for that rule. Once a prompt is shown the user can decide whether to send the email or not.
Can Safeguard Send for Microsoft 365 and Safeguard Send Core be in trial at the same time?
Yes, as they run independently. Two warning prompts will appear if the same rules are implemented.
What happens if something goes wrong during processing of the email?
This is an important consideration. Safeguard Send Core uses a Microsoft technology called Smart Alerts. Smart Alerts are designed to be flexible when allowing emails to go out even in the face of network errors by giving users a choice to send or not. More details about what happens when the add-in is unavailable or if the add-in takes too long to process (and more) can be found in this Microsoft article describing Smart Alerts error handling. As you read the article, know that by default Safeguard Send Core uses the promptUser mode.
This is unlike Safeguard Send for Microsoft 365, which will always refuse to send the email if the add-in cannot run for any reason. This is preferred in organizations where security is paramount and where spills result in multi-million-dollar cleanup efforts, or substantial litigation penalties.
How does the add-in work? Does Sperry Software get access to the contents of the email, the recipients or the attachments?
No, we don’t send emails, recipients or attachments to our servers or anywhere. All processing takes place on the end user’s client Outlook (desktop or web).
So, regarding security, what data is held on your servers?
Both Safeguard Send Core and Safeguard Send for Microsoft 365 hold the email addresses of your end users. All other data remains in your tenant, as all rule evaluations and calculations are performed on the end users’ machines. If this still presents a problem, we have a solution for you called Safeguard Send Essentials. Please contact us if your security requirements require a solution like this.