Email / SMTP Test

Test your DLP solution's ability to detect sensitive data sent via email, both in the message body and as attachments.

How Email DLP Works: Email DLP typically operates via an MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) that sits between your internal mail server (e.g., Exchange) and the outbound mail gateway. It inspects email bodies, subjects, and attachments in real-time.

Email Test Instructions

To test email DLP, send an email containing sensitive data from your mail client. Follow the steps below:

1

Download Sample Data

Go to the Sample Data page and download a file containing sensitive test data (CSV, XLSX, or PDF).

2

Compose Email

Open your email client and compose a new email to an external address. Attach the sample file and/or paste sample data in the body.

3

Send & Monitor

Send the email and check your DLP console. In monitor mode, an incident should be created. In block mode, the email should be quarantined.

Sample Email Body Content

Copy and paste any of the following into an email body to trigger DLP detection:

Confidential Employee Records - DO NOT DISTRIBUTE Employee: John A. Smith Social Security Number: 078-05-1120 Date of Birth: January 15, 1985 Department: Engineering Employee: Jane B. Doe Social Security Number: 219-09-9999 Date of Birth: March 22, 1990 Department: Marketing Employee: Robert C. Johnson Social Security Number: 323-45-6789 Date of Birth: July 4, 1978 Department: Finance
Customer Payment Information - CONFIDENTIAL Customer: John Smith Card Type: Visa Card Number: 4111-1111-1111-1111 Expiration: 12/2026 CVV: 123 Customer: Jane Doe Card Type: Mastercard Card Number: 5500-0000-0000-0004 Expiration: 06/2027 CVV: 456 Customer: Bob Wilson Card Type: American Express Card Number: 3400-000000-00009 Expiration: 09/2025 CVV: 7890
Patient Medical Records - HIPAA PROTECTED Patient: James T. Anderson Medical Record Number: MRN-2024-78456 Date of Birth: 05/12/1965 Diagnosis: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (ICD-10: E11.9) Health Plan ID: HP-882931-A Attending Physician: Dr. Emily Chen, MD Current Medications: Metformin 500mg BID Lab Results: HbA1c 7.2% (collected 01/15/2024)
INTERNAL MEMO - RESTRICTED Subject: Employee Benefits Update Dear HR Team, Please update the following employee records: Sarah Williams, SSN 167-23-4567, DOB 11/30/1982 Email: sarah.williams@example.com Phone: (555) 234-5678 Address: 123 Main St, Springfield, IL 62704 Bank Routing: 021000021 Bank Account: 9876543210 Please process the benefits enrollment by EOD Friday.

Email DLP Test Scenarios

Body Content Detection

Paste sensitive data directly in the email body. DLP should scan the message content and match against configured policies.

Attachment Scanning

Attach files containing sensitive data (CSV, XLSX, DOCX, PDF). DLP should extract and inspect attachment contents.

Subject Line Detection

Include sensitive keywords or data in the subject line. Some DLP solutions also scan email subjects.

Compressed Attachments

ZIP or password-protect an attachment with sensitive data. Test whether DLP can decompress and scan archives.

External vs Internal

Send to both internal and external addresses. DLP policies often differ based on recipient domain.

BCC / CC Testing

Add external addresses in BCC/CC fields. DLP should inspect all recipient fields for policy violations.