We are introducing disclaimers to email footers

Emails from UNSW student and staff accounts will now include a confidentiality disclaimer.

Over the coming weeks, a disclaimer will automatically be added to emails sent from a UNSW student or staff account, including when you forward or reply to emails.

What will you see?

The following message will display at the end of each email that is sent: 

Confidential communication – This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this email in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this email and any file attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately by return email and destroy this email.

Senders won’t see the message while they are writing their email. Only the recipient will see it when they read the email.

Many University emails contain sensitive and personal information, making it essential to include a confidentiality disclaimer to mitigate risk and promote robust information governance practices. 

The disclaimer:

• reinforces staff and student obligations about privacy and information security
• raises awareness about the confidential nature of email content
• supports legal and policy compliance by reducing the risk of unauthorised disclosure
• limits misuse by unintended recipients, underpinning the University’s overall data risk mitigation strategy
• demonstrates a proactive approach to mitigating potential data breaches or complaints
• reinforces UNSW’s commitment to good information governance in line with the Information Governance Policy.

If you have any questions about this change, please review these FAQs on the Information Governance Hub or email dataprogram@unsw.edu.au.