Business communication, even today, heavily revolves around email exchange, and for good reason… There isn’t anything else like it! Sure, you can send text messages, make phone calls, and fax documents. Are people still using fax machines? Regardless, email is still the best way to conveniently connect in a professional business setting, but now that phishing scams and data breaches are more likely to occur than hurricane season, businesses need to start taking advantage of email encryption. While cybersecurity is tough to navigate through and may confuse many, when dealing with email, it’s easier than 1,2,3. All you need is a reliable encryption service that makes sending and receiving secure emails convenient and user-friendly such as NeoCertified.
Simply put… the easiest and most reliable form of email security is encryption and without encryption, you could potentially be leaving your sensitive data at risk. For many, using an encryption service is optional and isn’t necessary if you’re just sending basic data back and forth but for some industries and businesses implementing encryption into your email is a necessity. Below you’ll find what industries or business types must utilize email encryption or penalties and fines will surely arise.
Medical.
Healthcare organizations that primarily deal with private patient data such as ePHI need to implement the proper safeguards surrounding this information or you could be fined by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforces all healthcare organizations dealing with patient data to be protected at all times. Sending a non-compliant email could result in a $50,000 fine so make sure all private data is protected in both transit and in storage.
Finance.
Tax season is in full swing and that means financial records, tax work papers, receipts, bank statements, documentation on income from investments, etc. could all be at risk of being exposed to the wrong person if not properly protected. Similar to healthcare, financial institutions must abide by specific laws and regulations, these include the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Both laws regulate how client information is being processed, stored, and shared, in regard to email and physical documentation. Financial firms are also required by law to notify their clients of a potential data breach, failing to do so could result in fines of up to $100,000. Be sure to verify that whoever is handling your tax records this season, is handling them with care and within the laws of GLBA and FINRA.
Legal.
The American Bar Association (ABA) recommends that all firms and practices incorporate an email encryption solution to protect both their clients and their practice’s welfare. This generally pertains to sensitive data or personally identifiable information that is tied to a person. It has been highly suggested by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) that a secure email solution be used when transmitting Non-Public Personal Information (NPPI). Legal institutions looking to comply with FINRA, and SEC may also want to look into implementing a secure email archiving service that will protect and store your email communications including encrypted messages and attachments in a format that can be electronically indexed, and retrieved, and searched.
Education.
Employing legitimate and reliable proactive digital security methods for maintaining and safeguarding educational records or students’ personally identifiable information (PII) is enforced by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA prohibits unlawful maintenance or tampering with a student’s information. This includes when a student’s record or file is transferred across a standard email or stored in a school’s unencrypted database.
Conclusion.
Utilizing a reliable email encryption service is not only for the industries mentioned above, if you’re sending or receiving private data through a standard email provider then it’s only a matter of time until someone intercepts your information. NeoCertified will help you secure your sensitive data with an easy-to-use email encryption service that complies with all the laws mentioned here. Don’t wait until it’s too late, get military-grade email protection today with NeoCertified.
