Email communications can expose data because emails have to travel outside your network. Encryption is a strategy that makes sense for any industry where sensitive information is likely to be shared via emails, including healthcare, insurance, financial services and research and development. So, email encryption is required to take care of your business.
Email Encryption Services in San Antonio
Emails are at the core of communications and daily workflows. They are a must-have tool to keep team members connected throughout the day, but it’s important to assess and mitigate the risks associated with this method of communication.
Risks are lower when two team members use email to communicate within the boundaries of a private network, but sending an email to a third party means sending it through different servers. If one of those servers is compromised or if the email is intercepted in transit, sensitive data could be exposed.
Email encryption is the best way to protect messages in transit since it makes the content of your messages useless if they are intercepted.
Who needs Email Encryption?
Email encryption is a strategy that protects your communications and prevents leaks. Deploying an encryption solution also helps to meet compliance requirements and improve safety and privacy. Here are some industries that need email encryption:
- Email encryption is one of the best practices associated with HIPAA compliance to protect individuals’ health information (PHI).
- If someone processes credit card payments, they have to meet PCI DDS compliance requirements. Email encryption adds a layer of security by protecting the invoices and other sensitive information sent via email.
- Financial services. Email encryption is a crucial element of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance since the sender needs to protect communications with clients.
- Human resources. Email encryption helps to protect employee data, enhances privacy and abides by employment law.
- Research and development. Failing to secure communications could result in valuable intellectual property being leaked.
What is Email Encryption?
Encrypting data renders it useless if intercepted. A user who doesn’t have the proper authorization can’t read the email and its content.
When a person implements encryption, emails aren’t sent in text form. An encoded version of the email is sent instead, and the message has to be decoded with a special key before the recipient can read its content.
It’s difficult to ensure that emails go only through secure servers since the user doesn’t have control over the servers outside the network. The best approach to securing email communications is to make the data impossible to read and use if it’s compromised.
How does Email Encryption work?
The recipient of an encrypted email will not receive the content of the email itself. They will receive a message with a link to a secure portal. They can retrieve the contents of the encrypted message by logging in to the portal. The portal requires email registration to gain access and decrypts the content of an email only if the user is authorized to see it.
SecureTech offers an email encryption tool designed to help secure your communications. The sender can use that tool to meet compliance requirements for many industries and protect valuable data. Our email encryption tool gives the ability to manage authorizations by using requests for information so the user can verify the domain name and identity of the users who receive potentially sensitive information.
Contact the experts at SecureTech in San Antonio to find out more about its email encryption solution or to schedule a tech review and assess your current level of protection.
Email Encryption Services FAQs
Which types of email content should be encrypted?
Email encryption should be applied to any content that contains sensitive or confidential information. This includes:
- Personal data: Social Security numbers, addresses, or other personally identifiable information (PII).
- Financial information: Credit card numbers, bank account details, or payment information.
- Legal documents: Contracts, terms of service, and other sensitive agreements.
- Health information: Medical records and patient information (especially under HIPAA regulations).
- Corporate secrets: Intellectual property, internal strategies, trade secrets, and R&D data.
- Login credentials: Usernames, passwords, and access tokens.
Encrypting emails containing any of these types of information ensures that unauthorized parties cannot access the data, reducing the risk of breaches and identity theft.
How does encryption help with compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)?
Email encryption is essential for ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require businesses to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Encryption helps by:
- Securing sensitive data: It makes intercepted data unreadable to anyone without the decryption key.
- Meeting regulatory requirements: Regulations mandate that businesses safeguard personal data, and encryption is an effective way to do so.
- Minimizing breach impact: Even if data is stolen, encryption ensures that it remains secure, reducing the risk of legal penalties and reputational harm.
By using encryption, businesses can ensure compliance with these laws and avoid costly breaches.
What are the common challenges in using email encryption?
Using email encryption comes with several challenges:
- User adoption: Employees may find encryption systems complicated, especially if they require managing encryption keys or additional steps to send emails securely.
- Compatibility: Not all email clients support the same encryption standards, which can create difficulties when exchanging encrypted emails between different systems.
- Key management: If encryption keys are lost or compromised, encrypted emails can become inaccessible or insecure.
- Performance delays: Encryption processes can slow down email delivery, especially for large attachments.
- Training requirements: Staff need to be properly trained on how to use encryption, ensuring they don’t accidentally send unencrypted sensitive data.
Despite these challenges, encryption remains a crucial security tool when implemented and used correctly.
How can SecureTech integrate encryption with existing communication tools?
To integrate encryption with existing communication tools, SecureTech will:
- Implement encryption solutions that are compatible with popular email clients like Outlook and Gmail.
- Use end-to-end encryption protocols, such as S/MIME or PGP, to ensure only the intended recipient can read the message.
- Automate encryption for emails containing sensitive information to reduce human error.
- Utilize email gateway encryption to automatically encrypt outgoing emails with sensitive data.
- Train staff to ensure they understand how to securely send and receive encrypted emails.
This ensures a seamless integration of encryption into existing workflows without disrupting daily operations.
How should staff handle and respond to encrypted emails?
When handling encrypted emails, staff should:
- Verify the sender’s identity to ensure the email is legitimate and not part of a phishing attempt.
- Avoid sharing encryption keys or passwords with anyone, as this compromises the security of the encrypted email.
- Use approved, secure email clients to open encrypted emails and ensure the encryption standards are upheld.
- Follow company guidelines for handling encrypted communications to prevent accidental data exposure.
- Respond promptly to encrypted emails, especially if they contain sensitive or urgent information.
Proper training and adherence to company protocols will help ensure that encrypted emails are handled securely and in compliance with data protection standards.