The Air Force is modifying its Digital Signature Enforcement Tool, or DSET, which has been in use for years prompting users to provide a digital signature when an email contains an active hyperlink or attachment. The modifications to DSET will now scan emails and attachments for possible PII.
First introduced to Microsoft Outlook in 2009 by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, DSET was originally designed to guard against social engineering or phishing attacks. The tool now alerts users to risks of including PII such as social security numbers, driver’s license information and financial information, the Air Force noted, which considers user awareness crucial to safeguarding this data.
Users can override a given warning and proceed to sending an email. The modified DSET is in early stages, currently focusing on social security numbers and developers hope DSET will eventually able to scan for a variety of PII to prevent future breaches, according to the Air Force.