We have spoken A LOT about HIPAA compliant email and what it takes to secure email to make it compliant. But the truth is that encryption is important whether you are dealing with sensitive client information or your company has to actively protect trade secrets like. Here are five industries that needs or can benefit from encrypted email.
When it comes to trade secrets there is probably no industry more in need of protecting their data than these developers. Especially in a space that is as cutthroat competitive as gaming and app development. Whether it’s a matter of protecting code for a hot new app or a storyline for a hot new game, every bit of unprotected data can bring even the best of projects to a screeching halt and potentially cost millions. Ask the guys at Valve about what losing the source code for Half Life 2 cost them (about $250 million).
Let’s face it, almost every data breach is about money. Some steal identities, others steal celebrity photos, and others skip the middle man entirely and just steal your money. The JP Morgan breach in 2014 is the perfect example of what happens when financial data is up for grabs. With roughly 83 million customers affected, the JP Morgan breach was the largest financial breach in history. It is why all financial institutions are subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). The GLBA is essentially the financial equivalent to HIPAA and requires financial institutions to “to explain their information-sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data.”
If the Panama Papers prove anything (other than the extent people will go to hide their money) it’s that data security is of the utmost importance when it comes to the legal industry. Despite this, one in four law firms are victims of data breaches and half have no contingency plans in the event of a breach. Not only is the information regularly handled by those in the legal industry sensitive in the typical sense (social security numbers, bank accounts, etc.), but much of the confidential client information can cost their clients huge sums of money and possibly years of their lives in judgements.
While this industry tends to be overlooked, failing to maintain the privacy of student records could result in the loss of Federal funding thanks to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Through FERPA, students and parents have the right to challenge, consent and review record disclosures. FERPA violations can be reported to Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO), an office within the Department of Education. Safeguards like email encryption protect educational institutions from violations.
While there is no real legal penalties for data breaches for journalists privacy and the protection of sources is of the utmost importance. A journalist who can’t maintain confidentiality has zero chance of ever breaking a story. The threat of government surveillance is also a major concern of journalists, especially those who work overseas and report on national security issues. Encrypting email communications can mean the difference in landing a big story or not, just like it was for Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Barton Gellman, who were approached by Edward Snowden.
In the end there isn’t any industry or business that couldn’t benefit from some data protection starting with email encryption. Whether it is for protecting patient confidentiality, keeping trade secrets, or protecting a valuable source, maintaining data integrity can be the difference between the success or failure of any venture. Encryption doesn't have to be difficult either. Paubox focuses on delivering military grade encryption without the hassle of portals for senders and recipients.