For many of us these days, it’s hard to imagine life without email. This year, the number of email users worldwide is projected to exceed 4.1 billion by the end of 2021, according to a report from The Radicati Group, a technology market research firm.
At the same time, headlines about cyber-attacks and data breaches have proliferated. As a vital communications and file sharing tool for many professionals, email presents a potential vulnerability for companies whose employees deal with sensitive information. If you’re not encrypting your emails, here are four reasons why you might want to start.
Emails with sensitive information could end up in the wrong hands
Sending sensitive information – such as personal health information or credit card information – in clear text without any type of encryption is risky business. Without email encryption establishing a secure gateway, someone with malicious intentions could intercept your email and gain access to the information it contains.
There’s also human error to take into consideration. Twenty-five percent of workers overall and 58 percent of senior managers have accidentally sent sensitive information to the wrong person, according to a report from Stroz Friedberg, a computer forensics, computer investigations, expert witness, and electronic discovery technical services firm.
Not encrypting email can hurt employee productivity
If your employees aren’t sure whether or not their emails are encrypted, they might hesitate to send anything that contains information that needs to be kept secure. This uncertainty about using a major file sharing tool can hurt productivity and decrease efficiency. Email encryption gives employees the confidence to use email to share sensitive information with their colleagues, which helps speed up workflow and decision making.
Your company could face serious consequences for not encrypting emails
Depending on your industry, you could face significant fines and sanctions under federal and industry regulations if your lack of encryption leads to a data breach. For instance, health care providers face consequences under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) if they fail to keep personal health information secure, and financial institutions must keep sensitive data safe under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).
Additionally, a data breach will likely damage your company’s reputation and could cause you to lose customers, future revenues, and business opportunities.
Encryption could open doors for your business
While data breaches can damage your reputation and cost you customers, implementing encryption to ensure security can have the opposite effect of attracting new clients. Customers will feel better about doing business with you if they know their personal information – whether it’s their medical records or credit card information – is protected.
If you’re looking for email encryption solutions, our advisors can help you identify products that meet your specific business needs from suppliers in our extensive partner network. Whether you’re a larger enterprise seeking enhanced data security or require a best-in-class small business email encryption offering, our team can assist you in finding a solution that will align with your goals and ensure that sensitive email data is protected. For more information, contact us today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.