If even one person in your organisation is bypassing those systems— for example, defaulting to email when they should be using a secure portal— you’ ve got a problem. And that problem could be opening up a hole in your security and placing your client relationships at risk.

The Familiar Pull of Email

We’ ve all heard it before from clients:“ Just email it to me.” It’ s quick, it’ s easy, and everyone knows how to use email. But what it gains in convenience, it loses in security. Email was never designed to handle the sensitive client data that financial services firms deal with daily. And yet, too often, it’ s still used as a fallback, especially when portals or other systems seem inconvenient.

The vulnerabilities of email are well-documented. Data missteps such as missent messages, phishing attacks, and unsecured file sharing can lead to breaches that erode client trust and incur costly consequences. Financial services remain one of the top industries targeted by cybercriminals, with email serving as a frequent entry point. One mistake can compromise not only client data but also the reputation of an entire firm.

Portals: A Piece of the Puzzle, Not the Whole Solution

When it comes to client communication, the question isn’ t just about whether your systems work— it’ s about whether they work for everyone. Are your clients satisfied? Are your team members using the tools as intended? Are you meeting the standards required to safeguard sensitive information?

Portals have become a cornerstone of secure communication. They allow firms to centralise information, share documents safely, and meet compliance requirements. However, a portal is only as effective as its user engagement. The reality is that many clients find portals inconvenient or difficult to navigate. With so many digital accounts to manage, consumers aren’ t interacting the way we might want.

This undeniably opens up the temptation to revert to email to make sure that your clients actually see important information, leading to a breakdown in processes. And if your email systems aren’ t secure … you’ ve opened up risk not just for you, but for customers too.

Closing the Gap with Secure Email

It’ s important to note that the problem isn’ t the portal itself, it’ s assuming that a portal is a one-size-fits-all solution. So, the solution isn’ t just to abandon portals; it’ s to use them more effectively. This is where secure email comes in— not as a replacement, but as a complement that fills in the gaps.

44 | The Adviser