Advice runs on trust. Clients share some of the most personal details in their lives, from health disclosures and family circumstances to financial records, identity documents, and future plans. Much of that information still moves by email, because email is the channel clients know best. It is familiar, direct, and easy to use. When a client is waiting for a policy document, an update, or a request for information, they usually expect it to arrive in their inbox, not behind another portal or in a system they have never used before.

That is why email remains so valuable for advisers. It meets clients where they already are. It keeps communication moving. It feels personal. But it also creates a problem- when the information being shared is sensitive, convenience on its own is not enough.

For many firms, the most likely risk is not a dramatic cyber incident. It is ordinary human error- a mistyped address, the wrong attachment, a forwarded message, or shared inbox. These are the kinds of everyday moments that can expose personal information, create distress for clients, and cause lasting damage to trust.

20 | Protection Adviser Online