How To Protect Sensitive Information Online

Do you know that your email message can be intercept, read and modify before reach its destination? Businesses face more security challenge to manage their confidentiality and make transactions. Sensitive information such as bank ID, new agreements or personal records getting into the wrong hands can have huge and costly effects on consumers and businesses.

As business person, you should know if your data is safe or in danger to be hacked …even at one click to be disclose all your confidential information. One solution are encrypted messages. Encryption enables you to send a message in a code into random series of characters with a secret private key to make it secure for transmission.

The only person, who can view the information or email, has the right private key…the info was converted with algorithms, and then everyone else will see just letters and numbers. It can be encrypt: hard drivers, attachments, digital signatures, folder security, laptops, removable media, file transfers, email, IM (Instant messaging).

One of the popular protocols for encryption is PGP, a cryptographic software package published in 1991 by Phil R. Zimmermann. The easiest way to use encryption is to purchase an email server/business application that incorporates some form of encryption technology. XGen Plus email server, for example, provides PGP - Pretty Good Privacy. A public-private key cryptography system used to easily integrate the use of encryption in users tasks, such as electronic mail protection and authentication, and protecting files stored on an email server.

How does encryption work? According to US-CERT National Cyber Alert System

1. Obtain the public key for the person you want to be able to read the information. If you get the key from a public key ring, contact the person directly to confirm that the series of letters and numbers associated with the key is the correct fingerprint.
2. Encrypt the email message using their public key. Most email clients have a feature to easily perform this task.
3. When the person receives the message, he or she will be able to decrypt it.

Every company has different needs, before purchasing any application; you should make sure that the offering suits your security requirements, verifying the company risk profile and take a decision.