Empowering businesses and consumers to exchange sensitive information by email, securely.
Here at Pro Cloud Solutions, tightening online security and ensuring that important and sensitive business data is safe are always at the top of the agenda in our work with clients. The ever-onward march of technology, coupled with modernised working patterns, means that more business processes and operations are being carried out online or digitally than ever before. Furthermore, company information and systems are being accessed over a growing number of devices in often a wide and varied number of locations, across the UK and abroad.
It is also unfortunately a fact that as digital usage is increasing, so are the potential threats to online safety and security. Many of the conversations our expert team have with clients and potential customers are around mitigating the business’ wider online exposure with measures to protect access to mission critical data and systems – the use of email encryption is a valuable tool here, that is always one of our recommendations.
What is encryption?
Encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Simply put, it is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information's true meaning - a way of scrambling data so that only authorised parties can decode it.
Why is encryption important?
Whether being emailed by colleagues working on joint projects either in-house or remotely, or being shared with clients and supply chain members, the necessity to distribute company information and analysis is ever increasing in this data driven age.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office states that: Encrypting personal data whilst it is being transferred from one device to another (eg across the internet or over wired or wireless connections) provides effective protection against interception of the communication by a third party whilst the data is in transfer. It is also strongly recommended to use encrypted communication when transmitting any data over a wireless communication network (eg Wi-Fi) or when the data will pass through an untrusted network.[1]
Additionally, it is important to highlight here that dependent on which sector your business operates in, there may well already be guidelines and/ or governance requiring a minimum standard or enforcing a specific policy for the encryption of sensitive data - both in rest and in transit. Examples, but not an exhaustive list, include the General Council for the Bar, The Attorney General’s Office, the Financial Conduct Authority – and any businesses tendering for national or local government contracts will also likely be required to have robust email encryption in place.
Don’t I get email encryption with my Microsoft 365 subscription?
In short – yes. Microsoft is an excellent email host; however, the standard in-built level of email encryption available does not meet the compliance requirements of many regulatory bodies, and likely more in the future.
Furthermore, Microsoft 365 in-built email encryption also lacks the flexibility and features that make alternatives not only more attractive, but also far more digital security beneficial. These missing features include email recall/ revoke, subject line protection, email date expiration and password addition.
What is Mailock and how does it offer me better email security?
At Pro Cloud Solutions we are proud to partner with Mailock to offer our clients an email encryption service that leads the market both in terms of security, simplicity and features. It was developed by Beyond Encryption, world-class developers and security fanatics who live and breathe the latest in encryption tech to enable users to connect securely, compliantly and sustainably with contacts and customers.
Mailock offers:
Military grade encryption for emails, fully compliant with regulatory requirements detailed above, as well as GDPR.
‘Recall’ and ‘Revoke’ options, solving the issue of misfiring emails – the number one cause of business data exposure - as well as giving you the opportunity to revoke access, if necessary, when projects conclude or business contracts end.
Identity authentication of email recipient prior to delivery. Mailock secures email messages with encryption and authentication allowing you to identify recipients before they gain access, and preventing interception by unauthorised third parties.
Full audit trail for complete control. As Mailock comes with a comprehensive audit feature, there is no need to send documents by tracked post to maintain regulatory compliance. Users can track both the recipient’s receipt of emails and data sent at any time, as well as track how recipients have interacted with the information.
Seamless integration with Outlook for Windows, or alternatively Mailock can be accessed through a dedicated browser app. Mailock also offers the same consistent integration with Unipass identity for Financial Services users.
At Pro Cloud Solutions we see the positive impact that Mailock has on our clients’ email safety and security, as well as in the additional areas below:
Customer Relations The use of Mailock reinforces your business’ brand identity as a firm to rely on for efficiency and security, and furthermore allows you to communicate with customers and supply chain contacts simply and effectively, with a ‘can do’ attitude. In its simplest terms, it overcomes the issue faced on an almost daily basis, when a ‘can’t you just email it to me?’ request arrives.
Environmental and Social Governance Mailock can contribute significantly to the reduction of paper usage and output. It's estimated 70% of processes remain paper-related within the legal and financial services sector, and by reducing reliance on ‘print and post’, Mailock enables organisations to make weighty economic and ecological savings.
Why partner with Pro Cloud Solutions?
Our experienced team of tech experts offer wrap-around support when it comes to taking up any of the services and applications we offer. Because we take time to get under the skin of your organisation and learn about what you do and how you operate, we make sure that the service and application recommendations we make are always match fit.
Moreover, our service to clients is not only to install, but also to manage, support and provide training on how best to use new applications. This ensures that understanding of new app processes and requirements penetrates throughout your organisation speedily, allowing your company to start reaping the benefits more quickly and hassle-free.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable team today.
Here at Pro Cloud Solutions, we are focused on ensuring the advice we give is clear and the assistance we offer makes a real and lasting difference to your firm’s cloud IT capabilities.
[1] https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/security/encryption/encryption-and-data-transfer/
Pro Cloud Solutions provides Cloud IT and Hosting Services to a range of businesses across the UK and around the World. Based in Taunton, Somerset and proud to support local businesses.
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