Moscow-based IT Reseller Values Ease of Implementation and Flexibility

(PRWEB) May 09, 2012

Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc, the leader in user-friendly SaaS email encryption and secure file transfers, has signed a reseller agreement with Axoft, a leading distributor of wide range of software in Russia and CIS countries.

Axoft, based in Moscow and operating out of more than 30 offices across Russia, the CIS Countries, Turkey and Mongolia, boasts a network of more than 6000 IT integrators and resellers. Axoft, which is part of the Softline Group, is the premier software vendor in its trading area, representing leading global brands including Microsoft, Oracle, Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, GFI, Red Hat, Computer Associates, Novell, Adobe, Quark and many others totalling more than 1,000 brands. The company is moving rapidly to capitalize on the growth of cloud-based IT solutions, and sees Email2’s innovative email encryption platform as a critical part of its offering.

“When it comes to mission-critical business services like email and encryption, cloud-based solutions allow for much easier integration and better flexibility,” says Olga Goz, Marketing Director. “Our network of resellers and systems integrators reaches a huge and diverse user base that is clamoring for reliable, easy to use technology. In a diverse market like ours, we need a platform that could easily adapt to a broad array of infrastructures. Email2’s cloud-based encryption platform raises the bar substantially in these respects, and sets a new standard for flexibility and ease of integration.”

“Axoft is the premier name in Business-To-Business software sales throughout Russia and the CIS,” says Email2 CEO Thierry LeVasseur. “Their reputation for representing many of the world’s leading brands, and supporting their reseller network through training as well as sales and marketing assistance make them an ideal partner for bringing our technology to this market.” Email2’s Secure Messaging Platform is an enterprise-grade encryption and file transfer service that connects seamlessly to any email infrastructure and requires virtually no user training. Through the use of the Email2 API, confidential email service can be added to many of the enterprise software products distributed by Axoft such as SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Office 365. Email2 secure messages can be sent and received directly by any mobile device such iPad and iPhone, Android and Blackberry. With the Email2 cloud-based architecture, users can be set up and benefiting from the service in minutes.

About Email2 SCP Solutions Inc.

Email2 makes email encryption simple to use and productive. For professionals in the health, financial, insurance and legal sectors and government agencies who need to guarantee receipt and security of confidential email and attachments, Email2 offers a cloud-based secure messaging service for their current email platform. Email2’s unique, patented architecture ensures its solutions are easy to install and use, generating a range of benefits for clients and partners including secure email communication with lower total cost of ownership and effort, protection of investments in current email infrastructure, and long-term scalability and flexibility.
*All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

While many covered entities and business associates are still adjusting to the changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) ushered in by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, new privacy requirements that are more stringent than HIPAA recently entered into force in Texas. Last June, Governor Rick Perry signed into law Texas House Bill 300 (HB 300), a measure that amends the state’s medical records privacy laws by strengthening privacy protection for protected health information (“PHI”) and increasing penalties for violations. The amendments, which took effect September 1, 2011, provide for health privacy protections in addition to and more stringent than those protections offered HIPAA.

The Texas Attorney General will be responsible for enforcing the new requirements and may seek injunctive relief and civil penalties up to $1.5 million annually for violations. Because of the broad scope of Texas health privacy laws, these changes are likely to have significant reach, impacting not only HIPAA-covered entities in Texas, but also governmental entities, schools and universities and other entities in Texas that process PHI.

REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS IMPOSED ON COVERED ENTITIES.

HB 300 will primarily impact “covered entities.” However, while the definition of covered entity under HIPAA is limited to health care providers, physicians, health insurers and health care clearinghouses, existing Texas law defines covered entity more broadly as any entity that engages in “assembling, collecting, analyzing, using, evaluating, storing, or transmitting protected health information,” or that “comes into possession of” or “obtains or stores” PHI. This means that the new requirements of HB 300 could impact a broad group of entities – beyond those subject to HIPAA.

The key new obligations imposed on covered entities are discussed further below:

A covered entity is required to develop and administer a training program for its employees that covers the details of both the state and federal laws concerning PHI. The training session should specifically be geared towards how these laws relate to (i) the nature of such covered entity’s business and (ii) each employee’s scope of employment. There is no explicit language exempting from this training those employees of a covered entity that do not come into contact with PHI in the scope of their employment.

An employee of a covered entity must receive such training within 60 days of such employee’s date of hire, and on a continual basis, no less than once every two years. Each employee who attends a training session must sign in (electronically or in writing) to verify their attendance at such training and the covered entity must maintain records of such attendance.

Subject to limited exceptions, a covered entity may not indirectly or directly sell an individual’s PHI. The new measures will generally restrict covered entities from selling PHI. However, a covered entity is permitted to receive a payment or fees from another covered entity in exchange for access to an individual’s PHI solely for the purposes of treatment, payment, health care operations, the performance of an insurance or health maintenance organization function or as otherwise authorized or required by state or federal law. The payment or fees obtained in exchange for the PHI may not exceed reasonable costs of preparing or transmitting the PHI to such covered entity.

A covered entity is required to (i) provide notice to an individual (for whom such covered entity creates or receives PHI) when such individual’s PHI is subject to electronic disclosure and (ii) obtain prior (written or orally documented) authorization for such electronic disclosure from the individual. The form of notice is up to the covered entity, as long as the individual is likely to see it (e.g., written notice at place of business, posting on Internet website, or both, etc.). The prior authorization requirement is not applicable if the disclosure is made to another covered entity for the same purposes as outlined above relating to the sale of PHI (e.g., treatment, payment, health care operations, etc.). The new law indicates that the Attorney General will adopt a standard authorization form, which will comply with HIPAA standards.

ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS AND PENALTIES.

The new law places its enforcement authority in the hands of the Texas Attorney General, who may pursue an injunction, monetary penalties and disciplinary actions against covered entities that are in violation. In addition to injunctive relief, the Texas Attorney General may institute an action for civil penalties ranging from $5,000 for each negligent violation that occurs in a given year up to maximum of $1.5 million annually. The penalties increase when the acts are deemed intentional and for financial gain. If a covered entity is deemed in violation of the new law and is licensed by a state agency, a disciplinary action may include revocation of the covered entity’s license. HB 300 also provides that the state may conduct audits of a covered entity to determine its compliance with the state’s health privacy requirements.

Covered entities and other entities processing the PHI of Texas residents should take note that the new far-reaching obligations have recently entered into force in Texas. Because the law goes beyond the requirements of HIPAA in a number of significant ways, even entities that have very well developed HIPAA compliance programs will likely need to make changes to comply with the Texas law.

UK-based IT Reseller Values Email2’s Next-Generation Protection, Ease of Use and Productivity

Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc., the leader in user-friendly SaaS email encryption and secure file transfers, has signed Maple5 Limited as a Value-Added Reseller (VAR), expanding Email2’s service availability in the UK and Europe.

Maple5, based in Reading, UK, is a pioneering VAR serving clients across the UK and throughout Europe. Maple5 specializes in high-value-add IT tools for system management, security and virtualization. Maple5’s current focus is on delivering best of breed, SaaS based security solutions. Maple5 has chosen Email2’s innovative SaaS email encryption platform as a key component for its hosted security services.

“Companies from the Fortune 1000 down to local small businesses are migrating to a ‘Bring-Your-Own-Device’ computing and communication network. Under this new paradigm it is absolutely critical that email remains confidential and secure, regardless of where it is being accessed,” says Daniel Power, Managing Director of Maple5. “Email2’s technology is so simple to set up, and so effective at protecting confidential information regardless of platform or infrastructure. We know our clients across the UK and Europe will greatly appreciate how easy it will be for them to deploy safe, reliable email and file encryption throughout their organizations, without fear of resistance – or worse, avoidance – from their staff.”

“Maple5 is an ideal partner for Email2, and we are very excited to be working with them,” says Email2 CEO Thierry LeVasseur. “With their focus on making the lives of IT professionals more productive and delivering measurable ROI on IT investments, Maple5 fully embraces the value that Email2 solutions bring to the table.” Email2’s Secure Messaging Platform is an enterprise-grade encryption and file transfer service that connects seamlessly to any email infrastructure and requires virtually no user training. Users can send and receive confidential information securely to any email address on any wired, Wi-Fi or mobile network and to or from any Internet enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop without having to install any software or hardware. Ease of implementation with existing email services such as Microsoft Windows™, Exchange™ (plus Hosted Exchange and Office 365™), Google Mail™, and Zimbra™ and compatibility with mobile ecosystems including RIM Blackberry™, Google Android™, and Apple iOS™ means that users can be set up and benefiting from the service in minutes.

About Email2 SCP Solutions Inc.

Email2 makes email encryption simple to use and productive. For professionals in the health, financial, insurance and legal sectors and government agencies who need to guarantee receipt and security of confidential email and attachments, Email2 offers a cloud-based secure messaging service for their current email platform. Email2’s unique, patented architecture ensures its solutions are easy to install and use, generating a range of benefits for clients and partners including secure email communication with lower total cost of ownership and effort, protection of investments in current email infrastructure, and long-term scalability and flexibility.

Contact:
Cameron Burke
Email2 SCP Solutions Inc.
1-866-362-4520 769

New Solution Combines Email Encryption, Certified Email Delivery Slip, Secure File Transfer and Data Loss Prevention into One Service

GULF BREEZE, Fla., Apr 19, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — AppRiver, a leading provider of email messaging and Web security solutions, today unveiled a new secure email delivery solution, CipherPost Pro(TM), a robust yet cost-effective service that allows businesses to control and encrypt email and email attachments with confidence and ease.

CipherPost Pro combines email encryption, certified email delivery, secure file transfer and light-weight data loss prevention into one seamless offering. The product also “wraps” around any existing email infrastructure or application so organizations do not have to replace any technology that is currently in place, including their email addresses or email programs.

A SaaS-based solution, CipherPost Pro enables rapid new customer deployments and is centrally managed so IT professionals can easily see the number of users, determine the amount of storage available for secure email attachments, and review usage analysis and other system data. The solution also provides unique functionality in its patented “Delivery Slip,” which allows authorized individuals to see multiple characteristics about a given message, such as who sent it, who received it and how it was handled, including deletions, forwards and attachment downloads–all time-stamped and with corresponding IP addresses.

Based on a technology partnership with encryption platform provider Email2 SCP Solutions Inc., AppRiver’s CipherPost Pro includes the following features:

– Encrypted Email–By default, a stub message directing a message recipient to a website for secure content download is sent; if the recipient has installed a Microsoft Outlook toolbar, the encrypted message is sent and decrypted at the point of receipt.

– Patented Delivery Slip–As noted previously, the delivery slip shows who sent and received a message and how it was handled, with updated time stamping and the IP address representing each participant’s device.

– Certified Email Delivery–CipherPost Pro can notify the sender when a message has been received and opened. In addition, the sender can set other controls, such as blocking the ability for the recipient to print or forward the message (marking it “For Your Eyes Only”).

– Secure File Transfer–CipherPost Pro users can send encrypted attachments right from their Microsoft Outlook clients. CipherPost Pro will encrypt the attachment and hold it, sending a stub message to the recipient who can then retrieve the attachment from a secure website. AppRiver can design a custom-branded CipherPost Pro site for retrieving the attachment.

– Data Loss Prevention by Content Filtering–IT administrators can set policies regarding the handling of messages that would appear to contain sensitive information, such as Social Security or credit card numbers. CipherPost Pro can stop such messages from being sent or can take other actions, based on the set policy.

“CipherPost Pro is ideal for companies in industries where tracking messages is just as important as securing them, such as legal or insurance firms and companies in many other industries that are governed by regulatory compliance,” said Thierry Levasseur, CEO, Email2 SCP Solutions Inc. “In these settings, close control of email content, including attachments, is both mandatory and essential to the way the organizations perform their services.”

“We are excited about our technology partnership with Email2 because it addresses those concerns businesses have when faced with today’s email encryption laws and industry regulations,” said Joel Smith, CTO, AppRiver. “With CipherPost Pro, we are not only helping customers remain compliant, but also offering them some peace of mind. Plus, it’s brilliantly simple so that employees don’t have to swap out familiarity and simplicity for security.”

Pricing and Availability

CipherPost Pro is available as a stand-alone service or as an add-on to AppRiver’s Secure Exchange Hosting offering, and it includes an agent from Microsoft Outlook as well as a Mac desktop agent. CipherPost Pro also includes mobile support. Pricing is based on specific customer configuration and the number of users.

More information about CipherPost Pro may be found here: http://www.appriver.com/services/email-encryption/ .

About AppRiver

AppRiver is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider offering award-winning email and Web security solutions to businesses of all sizes. Understanding the need to protect networks from today’s increasingly complex IT threats, AppRiver offers businesses a comprehensive, yet affordable subscription-based solution that incorporates the latest spam and virus protection, email encryption and Web security on the market. In addition, the company provides a complete managed service for Microsoft Exchange, as well as a bundled Office 365 solution. Since its inception, AppRiver has sustained an impressive 93% customer retention rate while growing its customer base to more than 45,000 companies and over 8 million mailboxes worldwide. The company is led by an Ernst & Young Florida Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, and has been identified as a Top 20 Cloud Security Vendor in 2011 by Everything Channel’s CRN magazine. For more information, please visit www.appriver.com .

SOURCE: AppRiver

Desktop Agent enables easy email encryption and secure file transfer for apple computers and notebooks.

Vancouver, BC Canada (PRWEB) April 18, 2012. Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc, the leader in user-friendly SaaS email encryption and secure file transfers, announces the release of the Mac® Desktop Agent for Apple computers and notebooks. This agent enables Mac users of Microsoft® Outlook and cloud-based email services including Yahoo! Mail and Gmail to benefit from the Email2’s encryption technology.

The Mac Desktop Agent makes encrypted email easy and accessible with a range of productivity enhancing features: it uses Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality to allow users to create and send secure messages or safely transfer large files with minimal effort; it instantly notifies users when they receive an encrypted email or secure file. The Mac Desktop Agent installs easily from the Email2 Secure Message Center (web mail), and is available to all Email2 users.

“As Apple computers grow in popularity and enter the business mainstream, it is critical that they comply with business-grade communication requirements including encrypted email and secure file transfer,” says Email2 CEO Thierry LeVasseur. “Our Mac Desktop Agent is a free tool for our customers, helping them extend best practices in email and file transfer security to all relevant computer platforms. This release directly supports our vision for making encryption easy to use, anywhere, any time.” Email2’s Encryption Plus platform is an enterprise-grade encryption and file transfer service that connects seamlessly to any email infrastructure and requires virtually no user training. Users can send and receive confidential information securely to any email address on any wired, Wi-Fi or mobile network and to or from any Internet enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop without having to install any software or hardware. Ease of implementation with existing email services and compatibility with systems including Microsoft Windows™, RIM Blackberry™, Google Android™, and Apple OSX/iOS™ means that users can be set up and benefiting from the service in minutes.

About Email2 SCP Solutions Inc.

Email2 makes encryption simple to use and productive. For professionals in the health, financial, insurance and legal sectors and government agencies who need to guarantee receipt and security of confidential email and attachments, Email2 offers a cloud-based secure messaging service for their current email platform. Email2’s unique, patent-pending architecture ensures its solutions are easy to install and use, generating a range of benefits for clients and partners including secure email communication with lower total cost of ownership and effort, protection of investments in current email infrastructure, and long-term scalability and flexibility.

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Cameron Burke
Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc.
1-866-362-4520 ext. 769

• NEW Desktop Agent for Mac
  The Mac Desktop Agent is ideal for all Mac Users who need security for personal email programs such as Gmail and Yahoo Mail. The Desktop Agent acts as a secure productivity agent & notifier. It displays an icon in the Finder and lets the user know instantly when they have a new secure message. The Desktop Agent also offers some convenient shortcuts for creating secure messages and instantly sending and sharing large files securely with the flexibility of Single-Sign-On (SSO). It can easily be installed from the Secure Message Center (Webmail) and it is available to all users.

• Secure API Delivery
  Secure API Delivery automatically archives every secure message, decrypted, via SMTP or IMAP in your favorite email archiving or document management solution. A direct and real time API connection ensures that every secure message is archived, regardless of MS Exchange and envelope journaling configurations. Secure messages can remain encrypted in the mail server (e.g. MS Exchange), but stored decrypted in the email archive or document management. Files attachments are automatically archived with every secure message, with the ability to specify the maximum file size (e.g. 20MB). A complete activity log is available real time of all secure messages and file attachments archived, with the ability to retry entries that failed due to down time from the third party archiving tool. An option to use SSL / TLS is available and recommended if you use a third party SaaS / Cloud email archiving solution.

• New Online Help
  New Help Website now live: http://help.secure-messaging.com. It includes PDF User Guides for easy reference.

IMPROVEMENTS

Secure Message Center (Webmail)

• Updated all contextual links to direct to the new Help website.
• Added note to Attachment Module recommending use of Desktop Agent for files larger than 10MB. This note is only displayed if the User has access to installing and using teh Desktop Agent.
• New Desktop Agent for Mac installation page: only available when using the Webmail witn a Mac.

MS Outlook Toolbar

• New installer name ‘Secure MS Outlook Toolbar’. Once installed, the new Toolbar is now located in the ‘Secure Messaging’ folder under the ‘All Programs’ Windows menu. The Toolbar adds the ribbon menu ‘Secure Messaging’ in Outlook 2007 and 2010 instead of the former ribbon name ‘Email2′.
• Updated “Preferences” dialog to bette organize options.

Desktop Agent (PC)

• The Desktop Agent now supports selecting from multiple Secure Messaging Platforms for Users that are registered with more than one Secure Messaging Platforms.
• New installer name ‘Secure Desktop Agent’. Once installed, the new Desktop Agent is now located in the ‘Secure Messaging’ folder under the ‘All Programs’ Windows menu.
• Aynchronous file transfer can be initiated when the Desktop Agent has not been turned on (auto-start).

Web Admin Console

• Updated all contextual links to direct to the new Help website.
• Secure e-Forms now supports the ability to upload unlimited file size attachments as part of a Secure Form submission from your web visitors.
• New Data Leak Prevention feature allows the Administrator to specify whether rules and pilicies for encrypting messages and attachments is mandatory, or if the User can still send unencrypted at their discretion. Admin DLP dropdown options changed as a result: ‘Enabled’, ‘Mandatory’, ‘Disabled’. Enabled offers the User to override and send unsecure, Mandatory removes the option to send unsecure, and Disabled ignores whatever setting are set for keywords black and white listing.
• Improved support for custom SMTP settings for customers with their own outbound SMTP server.

European market leader in security and secure communications, WeCloud, chooses Email2′s Encryption Plus platform services

Through our partnership with Email2 we can offer our customers complete control over who gets access to that information, how it is processed and world class technology for encrypting email and attachments

Vancouver, B.C. Canada (PRWEB) March 15, 2012 – Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc., the innovation leader in user-friendly SaaS email encryption and secure large file transfer services, is pleased to welcome WeCloud AB to it’s reseller partner program. WeCloud, based in Malmo Sweden, is a market leader in security and secure communications in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. The WeCloud team’s focus is on cloud-based Internet security technology and helps organizations have a safe and secure experience on the Internet. Its customers range from small businesses to publicly traded corporations and government agencies.

All WeCloud’s services are available in the “cloud,” which means that they are used directly over the Internet as an unlimited resource with no up-front investment in software or hardware required. WeCloud will be integrating Email2’s secure messaging platform into its suite of cloud-based services so that it can directly support its clients in the Nordic countries.

“We are delighted to attract WeCloud as our partner for the Nordic countries,” said Thiery LeVasseur, CEO of Email2 SCP Solutions, “Their team’s extensive experience providing security solutions is a great benefit for clients. Selecting Email2 to complement WeCloud services will allow them to enhance their customer’s confidentiality and productivity.” Email2’s Encryption Plus seamlessly integrates with existing email services. Users can send and receive confidential information securely to any email address on any wired, WiFi or mobile network and from or to any Internet enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop without having to install any software or hardware. Ease of implementation and use with existing email service and compatibility with systems such as Microsoft Windows™, RIM’s Blackberry™, Goggle’s Android™, and Apple’s iOS™ means that users can be set-up and benefiting from the service in minutes.

“The Internet is a global and open network where it is impossible to determine which route an email is sent, and who gets the opportunity to read it on the way. Through our partnership with Email2 we can offer our customers complete control over who gets access to that information, how it is processed and world class technology for encrypting email and attachments,” says Rikard Zetterberg, CEO of WeCloud AB.

WeCloud’s offer of Email2’s Encryption Plus service is ideal for doctors, lawyers, insurers, investment bankers and public sector organizations that need to communicate personal health, financial or identity information confidentially with their clients. Email2’s system saves companies money by eliminating courier charges, postage and accelerating invoice payments through its patented message tracking delivery slip capability.

About Email2 SCP Solutions Inc.

Email2 is making secure email simple to use and productive. Email2 offers a “cloud-based” secure electronic delivery service for professionals in the health, financial, insurance and legal sectors and government agencies who need to guarantee receipt and security of confidential email and attachments to clients. Email2’s unique architecture ensures its SaaS email encryption and secure large file transfer solutions are easy to install and use, generating quick cost benefits for clients and partners. Email2 benefits include reducing the people, service and supply costs of couriers and mail while helping to eliminate the disclosure of confidential information.

Cameron Burke
Email2 SCP Solutions, Inc.
1-866-362-4520 ext. 769

Secure, encrypted email welcomed by BC’s healthcare industry

VANCOUVER, Feb. 17, 2012 /CNW/ – Medinet, British Columbia’s source of integrated electronic health solutions for physician offices and health authorities is pleased to announce the introduction of Medinet Mail, its secure email solution. Physicians using Medinet Mail can send secure and encrypted email messages to anyone with an email address. Using patented technology, senders can track each message to see when it has been received, taking the guesswork from medical communication. The system maintains its traffic on secure Internet mail servers located in Canada.

“The rollout of Medinet Mail is going extremely well,” says Medinet President John Culter. “We’re getting rave reviews, with a number of early adopter physicians sending secure, encrypted messages to colleagues and patients. With an unlimited file size attachment, the system is well suited to sharing confidential clinical information between general practice doctors and specialists. Health authorities are using Medinet Mail to help patients book appointments electronically, and to pass clinical information back and forth in advance of admission to hospital.”

Culter says, “We’ve been working on a secure email product for several years, and are delighted to be in partnership with Email2 SCP Solutions Inc, which provides the underlying technology for Medinet Mail. This product is the best developed, most secure and easiest to use in the marketplace today. Because of the capable programmable interface, users of Medinet Mail will be able to connect with Medinet’s over 15,000 users across the province. We expect it to become a significant solution in the drive to move BC physicians from their present dependence on fax into the new eHealth environment.”

Email2 SCP Solutions President Kirk Hamilton said, “We are delighted to have Medinet as our health market distributor for British Columbia. They have excellent knowledge of the market and a strong customer service focus to support the various health applications our Secure Messaging Platform can enable.”

Medinet Mail is powered by Email2′s Secure Messaging Platform, which provides a ‘cloud-based’ secure messaging platform architecture that makes email encryption easy to install and use. Founded in 2006, email2.com is a Vancouver business, delivering solutions across Canada and the US to governments, health, financial and legal service providers.

The importance of guidelines to ensure Efficient and Effective email Use

“Most companies are grappling with email overload,” says Monica Seely, an email management expert at Mesmo and author of Brilliant Email. “Companies are losing up to 20 days per person per year, dealing with email poorly.”

Most of us would not disagree with these statements. But how many organizations have you encountered that have email guidelines in place – that are actually enforced?  The answer is likely none.

Having no email charter (that is adhered to) is like having no HR policies for staff (that are adhered to).  Payroll expenses and the inefficient use of email are some of the most costly expenses in most professional services organizations.  Implementing guidelines around managing these resources are not nice-to-haves, but rather fundamental business rules - and applicable to any size organization.  Having these guidelines in writing is not good enough. In order for them to be effective, they must be enforced and become part of the operational culture and house rules and become as second nature as, well,… sending an email.  Sending a flaming email or an unwarranted ‘reply to all’ with the dreaded ”thanks!” should become as unacceptable and ‘yesterday’ as scotches for lunch and smoking at our desks.

One can’t assume that staff ‘just know’ how to use email. Most individuals’ email training is simply non-existent and ends with opening their MS Outlook application and composing their first email.

Guidelines for when Secure Encrypted Email must be used

If you are on vacation and you want to send something generic to a friend such as “wish you were here”, you send a postcard. If the message or letter is more personal and you would prefer that only the intended recipent read it, you would send it in a sealed envelope.  The same principle applies in the business world.  Encrypted email is your sealed envelope (+). It can be more like a signature-required guaranteed delivered package, depending on the encryption service used.

Rarely covered in an email policy is the inclusion of guidelines around sending sensitive or client-confidential information. The sending organization or the sender who is including sensitive business, client, or employee information in an email is unequivocably responsible for ensuring that the information is secure and only seen by intended recipients. If a sender does not use email encryption, all information sent over the internet can be intercepted – and leaves the organization open to high risks of data leaks and breach of privacy and other regulatory compliance. It’s like sending a postcard into cyberspace.

Sample Encrypted Email Guidelines

Here’s just a sample of general guidelines that can be included in your email charter to address the use of encryption to ensure that sensitive content is only seen by intented recipients.

Encrypted email must be used:

1. When sending or discussing confidential, strategic, non-public, or classified business information.
2. For Board of Directors discussions.
3. When sending or discussing any type of client confidential, priviledged, or private information. Clients could include students, patients, citizens, or customers.
4. When emails include credit card numbers, social security numbers, passwords, logins or any recognizable format for sensitive information.  The use of data leak prevention tools here, is also key. Data leak prevention tools will recognize the format of email content, such as xxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx for credit cards, and prevent sending of the email or at least warn the sender to encrypt the email.
5. When attaching any kind of sensitive document to an email. Encryption is much more secure than including a password to open the document, which can be hacked.
6. By all legal and accounting staff working for the organization, or any staff who frequently deals with confidential information as part of their regular duties.  This may include IT, and Sales.
7. When communicating outside the organization with firms dealing with sensitive information such as legal, accounting and IT firms. In many sectors, such as the healthcare industry or public sector, guidelines would include a long list of external or partner agencies.
8. By HR staff when communicating sensitive employee information, AND when communicating with potential new hires and candidates – particularly when discussing or sending employment offers.
9. As an aside, secure email guidelines should also include guidelines for the topic of email delegates. How to communicate which staff members have delegates, and alternative communication methods to reach staff with delegates when ultra-sensitve emails are exchanged.  Navigating the sensitivities of email delegates can be challenging if guidelines are not in place.

Once communicated, email rules or guidelines should be adhered to and enforced like any other organizational policy.  With minimal training and reminders, email can be a highly effective communication tool. There may be a lot of talk recently about  rogue companies abolishing email all together as a way of dealing with the ineffective use of email. But the reality is that email is not going anywhere for the unforeseeable future.

It’s not the medium that’s the problem. It’s who uses it and how.

Contact us here if you would like to receive a complete email policy or guidelines template.

Ariane Laird works with Email2.

Email2 provides straightforward secure email encryption and data leak prevention solutions for various sectors, and uses the same security technology as Internet banking.

From your desktop to mobile, securely send, receive, control, track and automate delivery of confidential email and large attachments outside the organization. Brilliantly simple, anytime anywhere encryption – without requiring staff or recipients to change their existing email.