Exclaimer, which positions itself as a leading provider of e-mail signature management solutions, has called on organisations to treat e-mail governance with the same seriousness as they do any other threat to their digital infrastructure.
Cary Vidal, VP of IT and Security at Exclaimer, says: “Most organisations know to guard against ransomware, phishing and AI-driven attacks, but one overlooked risk is hiding in plain sight: unmanaged e-mail signatures. Tampered, inconsistent or non-compliant signatures can expose companies to legal liabilities, reputational damage, compliance failures and a loss of trust with customers.”
What’s at stake is more than just brand perception, Vidal says. Without clear, compliant e-mail signatures and disclaimers, organisations can face regulatory violations, contractual disputes and even legal precedent challenges. Missing or inconsistent disclaimers can weaken a company’s legal position, while unmanaged signatures risk confusing customers and opening the door to misinformation or misrepresentation.
Exclaimer emphasises that e-mail isn’t a legacy tool – it’s a critical part of the organisation’s communications infrastructure. From contracts and compliance notices to customer communications, it remains the backbone of business trust. Unlike other parts of IT infrastructure, e-mail governance is often fragmented or reactive. Treating e-mail as infrastructure means managing it with the same discipline as networks, identity systems or cloud environments, with e-mail signatures as a key point of control for governance and compliance.
Exclaimer’s State of Business Email 2025 study highlights the scale of the problem:
While 94% of IT leaders say they feel confident in their compliance posture, 32% cite compliance violations as the biggest e-mail security challenge faced by their teams.
Yet only 18% use centralised signature management, a simple and effective tool to guarantee e-mail compliance.
“Protecting our digital footprint goes beyond stopping attacks – it requires actively managing risk, compliance and trust," says Vidal. "E-mail signatures may not be traditional security controls, but they play a critical role in governance. Organisations must balance threat prevention with smart operational discipline. Centralised signature management provides consistency, compliance and confidence, helping businesses be not just cyber secure, but truly cyber aware."
With the average cost of a data breach now $4.88 million globally, organisations can’t afford to ignore overlooked risks. Exclaimer has called on organisations to treat e-mail governance as a critical part of cyber awareness: protecting compliance, safeguarding reputation and ensuring growth through trust.
Marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Exclaimer, in partnership with ITWeb, staged a webinar for MSPs, VARs and technology resellers on the importance of e-mail signature management and the benefits of offering it as a service to customers. To view a recording of the webinar, click here.
Share