Why Your Business Should Be Using Email Encryption Software

Managing and protecting your business’s data is essential, and if you are working with members of the general public it is also a legal requirement.  In the past, it was easy enough to keep all data secret, because it could be stored physically and kept away from all but those who were authorised to view it. Modern life, however, means that there is less physical paperwork, and the protection which paper records provided has been lost. One way in which businesses are often vulnerable is in their use of emails on their network. Emails that are used to carry data about customers from one department to the other need to be secure at all points in order to keep the business safe.

Why use email encryption?

When email first began to be used regularly by businesses as their main form of information-sharing, there were several different methods used to keep the information secure, including  sending messages in a series of emails, and using spaces and out-of-order content which could not be read by computerised malware. However, these attempts at protection were primitive, and often failed to keep data secure. This is particularly true where the information on the email is stored in order to keep a record or what is passing between employees. In this situation, the information is often not encrypted, meaning that it is an easy source for hackers and malware operators. In fact, a large amount of security breaches and data theft involves the hacking of unsecured stored emails. With such a risk of exposure, many people are finding it hard to protect their information, and this is why email encryption software is so important.

How does encryption work?

In order to successfully encrypt your emails, you need to cover three areas. Firstly, you need to cover the email provider’s connection to your business’s email system. You will then need to protect the email message, and lastly you will have to protect cached or stored messages. All of these areas need to be handed individually, and as one group. Email provider connections are one of the most important areas, regardless of the type of email system you are using.  If you fail to encrypt this part of your email system, you can be accessed very easily. Even work email messages within a company network are vulnerable to this problem. By using an email encryption software program, you can keep your emails secure from start to finish, and this will ensure that you get the best protect for your in-house email messages, and also ensure that no-one outside of that network can read the messages even if they do intercept them.