A Guide for Small Business Owners: All About Email and Fax Security

A Guide for Small Business Owners: All About Email and Fax Security
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It’s important for businesses to keep all customer information private and secure - even if it’s just for a trust issue. Also, a company with a good reputation for keeping customer information private and secure has a better chance of getting new customers due to good feedback by existing clients. The other reasons to secure email messages is to keep sensitive communication with business partners private and to comply with federal, state and local business laws and government regulations.

One of the mediums to communicate with customers is by using email and fax systems. Our collection on how to secure these outgoing communication systems will save you time and money by offering inexpensive or free methods along with other suggestions you may have not even thought about. Bookmark this guide now so it is handy for you to share with everyone in your organization.

<strong>Run an Email Security Test</strong>

How can you be sure your existing security software and system configuration is secure enough to start sending and receiving confidential information to partners and customers? Don’t you think it’s best to double check by running a vulnerability scan on your email system? Learn how here and we hope you get a high or perfect score so your customers and business partners are at ease doing business with you!

<strong>Increasing Email Security and Reducing Risks with IMAP</strong>

Find out how an IMAP protocol will help to increase security for your organization or business. There’s also an advantage in using the said email protocol and that is to keep local and backup copies of email messages. Backing up important data, including email messages is important to most businesses and also employees, so start using IMAP instead of POP servers.

Why Compliance for Email Security is Important

If you are unsure why your company should start securing the email system or keeping the email messages you exchanged to customers and partners, this article should help you understand the need or why it is a must do action. You don’t want to lose customers for not taking steps in keeping their email messages private. You also don’t want to become a victim of scammers pretending to be you or a representative of your business.

<strong>Importance of an Email Security Policy</strong>

Find out the consequences a business may have to face if email security is lacking in a business environment. You will also learn in the linked article on why it’s quite important to have an email security policy at work. Let your employees follow the policies that your company sets up for email security and privacy, and you will definitely succeed in protecting and securing customers and partners’ sensitive data.

<strong>Free Email Encryption to Use for Your Business</strong>

Have you decided to utilize encryption to secure email messages for your business? Do you know that you can take advantage of free or inexpensive service or programs to encrypt email messages? This post provides a list of solutions to help secure email messages in Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems.

<strong>Best Email Encryption Software for Business</strong>

There is plenty of email encryption software on the market and that’s why here on Bright Hub, we provide articles that discuss different software titles in securing emails. You will find a list of the best email encryption email software in the linked article. This gives you more options or choices to help secure your customers sensitive information.

<strong>Trend Micro Encryption Email for Clients</strong>

The other option to use in securing email messages using web browser and email programs is by using the plugin by Trend Micro. It comes in two different flavors – for home which is free of charge and for business use which requires a license for the hosted solution. If you are a business-user, you should contact the vendor for evaluation and of course, pricing.

<strong>Achieving Compliance with ProofPoint Email Security Solutions</strong>

Trend Micro isn’t the only security vendor that can provide email security solution. ProofPoint is also offering protection for emails that business users require, such as email encryption, privacy and archiving. The article here describes more about the product and how it can secure and keep email messages safe for your business.

<strong>The Lack of Security in a Fax Machine and How to Secure It</strong>

Fax machine

It is not only email that may be insecure but also fax machines and fax messages! Learn about the insecurity of using a fax machine before you start sending sensitive or confidential documents to your clients or business partners. It’s a two-page article but it is really useful to business users who don’t want to compromise sensitive information.

<strong>Sending and Receiving Fax Messages Using Windows 7</strong>

There’s no need to use traditional fax machines when sending or receiving fax messages because Windows offers a built-in fax application. The only requirement is to connect the computer to a phone line and a built-in fax modem. Sending and receiving a fax using a computer will not only save space at your workplace but also save on paper because you only print, if required, the fax messages you need as a hard-copy.

<strong>Network Fax Servers as Alternative to Fax Machines</strong>

Other available and inexpensive methods of sending and receiving fax messages is by using network fax servers. This post is a one-on-one interview right from Bright Hub with David Kelleher, Communications and Research Analyst at GFI’s Security Labs. He finds fax machines a waste of time and recommends using fax servers so employees can receive and send fax messages using handheld or mobile devices.

<strong>GFI FaxMaker Review</strong>

Take a look at the review on FaxMaker, a network fax server from GFI. It is an award-winning fax solution for small or medium-sized businesses. You should find the pricing attractive since it’s inexpensive compare to buying several fax machines for each department in your office. Small business will only have to fork-out $109 for five to nine users which includes the FaxMaker server and four fax lines at GFI FaxMaker server location.

<strong>Collaboration Tool as Alternative to Fax Machine: Google Docs</strong>

Small business may also find collaboration management services or tools as replacement to fax machines or email systems. An example of this service is Google Docs where you can give access to group or particular customer. However, security researchers and experts offer there is a risk in keeping private or sensitive information on any cloud storage. More information on Google Docs security can be found here.

<strong>Using Document Markup and Collaboration Software</strong>

Other tools to use as fax replacement are the use of document markup and other collaboration software mentioned in the linked article, such as DocuSign, eReview, ForReview, etc. Documents that your company will send to clients is signed and authenticated. Read more on the different software titles when you plan to use collaboration software as a replacement to a fax machine to send documents as fax message.

<strong>Top Green Business Practices: Is Your Company Using Them?</strong>

When a company is practicing an environmental friendly method of doing business, it helps to reduce paper waste, money and time. Fax machines as we know, use paper that accounts for about 35 percent of total waste. Collaboration software such as DocuSign or e-Signatures will help in reducing paper wastes and will be able to administer the documents using proper and secure permissions by authorized users in the company.

If you have other ideas to secure sensitive information that is sent through email or fax, please drop us a line in the comment section below.

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