Business information is very sensitive. This information influences decisions that can be worth billions of dollars. As such, this information must be protected at all costs. One of the ways in which it can be protected is through encrypted email.
What is encrypted email?
A regular email carries some information in it. If a malicious person is able to intercept it before it reaches the recipient, then they can read the information within and use it for bad purposes. If this was an encrypted email however, the information within would be unreadable to the intruder. This is because they do not have the key that is needed to open and view the information that is within.
Encrypting email protects the email that is inside it. IT does this by disguising the characters into something that an intruder cannot read or make sense of. Business information is very valuable. As such, it should be protected in this manner. There are many types of email encryption. They include:
- Email Encryption on the Desktop
- Encryption of hosted email
- An encryption bundle for email
- Encrypted Virtual Private Mail (VPM)
Encrypted email in your desktop
This type of encryption is ideal for an organization that has many computers in its network. It is quite easy to install in each desktop computer. The email encryption service provider can set this form of encryption up quite fast. With one click, the users in the network are able to encrypt information and decrypt it too.
Encryption of hosted email
In this type, the encryption software is installed in the server of the network. After that, any outgoing messages that pass through this server are encrypted and protected as they go through the Internet. Recipients of the emails can easily decrypt the emails using keys that are stored in a worldwide directory. As such, all the business-to-business emails are encrypted. This service also encrypts the emails that are sent to the clients of the business.
Encrypted Virtual Private Mail (VPM)
This form of encryption is ideal for large businesses or companies. This type uses policies so as to regulate the content that is flowing in and out of the organization. This form of encryption is installed in the gateway device of the organization. As such, it can filter content that is flowing into the organization or out of it to check for security vulnerabilities. In addition to that, this method allows companies to comply with accepted industry regulations.
This system utilizes lexicons to encrypt all messages in the organization’s system. It can even be used to establish clearance levels within the organization itself. Thus, different levels of employees can only read what they have the clearance for.
There are many organizations that utilize VPM encryption. Examples of these are:
- Bank and financial institution regulators on the federal level
- The members of bank associations
- Health insurance companies
- Hospitals
- Educational institutions
- The military
Conclusion
For ultimate security of your email communications, it is best to seek encryption services. There are many threats to business information in cyberspace. Many companies have lost billions due to data theft. Thus, email encryption is a useful investment.
Bio
Chris Brizie is an IT professional. He is well-versed in data security. His knowledge about encrypting email has assisted many organizations.