Government-to-Government (G2G) and Business-to-Government (B2G) communication form the backbone of public services, from procurement and interagency collaboration to regulatory reporting. However, relying solely on email security is no longer sufficient. Threats are evolving, compliance requirements are intensifying, and traditional email protections fall short in addressing the unique demands of institutional communication. Here’s why we need a more robust, purpose-built solution.
1. Nation-State Threats and Supply-Chain Attacks
A chilling wake-up call came with CISA’s Emergency Directive 24‑02, which revealed that sophisticated threat actors like “Midnight Blizzard” had breached Microsoft email systems used by federal agencies, including exfiltrating authentication credentials and internal correspondence. This incident demonstrates that traditional email defenses are inadequate in the face of state-sponsored campaigns. G2G communication must now be protected against advanced, persistent, clandestine attacks.
2. Deep-Rooted Software Vulnerabilities
According to Veracode and Cybersecurity Dive, 80% of government agencies harbor unpatched software vulnerabilities, even some lingering for over a year. Vulnerable endpoints can serve as a backdoor into otherwise secured systems. Email encryption alone won’t protect these critical touchpoints; an organization-wide approach is required.
3. Phishing and Spoofing via Official Domains
Threat intelligence firm Cofense notes a disturbing trend: attackers leveraging legitimate .gov domains to craft spear-phishing campaigns that evade secure gateways. Compounding the issue, academic research has found that email spoofing still succeeds despite SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protections due to forwarding and protocol gaps. Institutions cannot rely on partial defenses when adversaries exploit trusted domains.
Securing senders, content, and metadata is essential. Senders (who will be the normal citizens) are prone to security risks, especially since they don't have an arsenal to cope with threats.
4. Complex Compliance and Audit Requirements
B2G and G2G transactions require immutable audit trails, identity verification, and process accountability, all essential for procurement compliance, regulatory reporting, and legal defensibility. Basic email security doesn’t log who reviewed or approved the message and when. It also fails to ensure content hasn’t been silently altered during transit or storage.
5. The Zero-Trust Imperative
NIST’s SP 800‑207 defines Zero Trust Architecture as the gold standard for secure enterprise environments. In G2G and B2G contexts, Zero Trust means continuous verification, least-privilege access, and encrypted communication with no implicit network trust. Email solutions without these built-in policies miss a critical layer of institutional protection.
6. Data Leakage via Forwarding and Cloud Storage
Academic analysis shows email forwarding mechanisms can inadvertently nullify email authentication safeguards, letting spoofed or sensitive content slip through. Furthermore, business users often store email attachments unsecured in cloud drives or personal accounts, creating uncontrolled data proliferation outside secure email channels.
Why We Need a Dedicated Communication Platform
G2G and B2G environments deserve more than compartmentalized email solutions. To ensure transparency, compliance, and security, organizations need:
- End‑to‑end encrypted channels, covering both content and metadata. From both the senders (who will be the normal citizens) to the receivers (which will be the business/government departments).
- Zero‑trust architecture, rejecting implicit network trust and requiring continuous validation.
- Immutable audit logs, firmly tying every message and action to verified identities.
- Policy-based compliance tools, enabling real-time control and reporting.
- Advanced threat protection, safeguarding against spoofing, phishing, supply-chain exploits, and insider risk.
- Secure end-to-end data handling, from draft to archival, including attachments and metadata.
The Road Ahead
Email will still exist, but for G2G and B2G, it needs to be augmented or replaced by a platform purpose-built for institutional communication. Letro is developing exactly that: a blockchain-powered, zero-trust, traceable, secure hub designed to meet the high-assurance requirements of government and regulated business workflows. Stay tuned for more.
Email will still exist, but for G2G and B2G, it needs to be augmented or replaced by a platform purpose-built for institutional communication.
Final Takeaway
G2G and B2G communication involves elevated risk, stricter compliance, and sophisticated threats. Relying only on conventional email security is insufficient. A paradigm shift is overdue, towards an architecture that combines Zero Trust, cryptographic verification, and real-time governance. The future of institutional communication depends on it.
Citations:
- CISA Emergency Directive ED 24‑02 on Microsoft email compromise Source - Source
- Veracode report on 80% of agencies with year-old vulnerabilities Source
- Cofense on phishing via .gov domains Source
- Research on email forwarding bypassing SPF/DKIM/DMARC Source
- NIST SP 800‑207 Zero Trust Architecture Source
- Explanation of B2G vs. B2B communication requirements Source
- Strategic Communications and B2G Marketing Source
