Recently I was working with some CPAs and I was amazed at how freely their office would simply attach a regular PDF of a tax return and fire it off in an email. Wow. Without going into all of the specifics, all internet technologies are not the same. Simple yet effective ways to safeguard data include encryption and passwords.
Encrypted email is not very common for the average business because it includes additional infrastructure beyond what simple free email accounts and shared business website hosting plans include. Because of the additional barriers, we typically see businesses adopt it when they're required by regulatory compliance, like HIPPA, GLBA, SOX or the likes. Healthcare and financial sectors are examples, where they're dealing with highly personal data. Pricing is coming down as there are now cloud-based, hosted encrypted email options. These are best for company settings because they make it streamlined for employees to use, which increases participation and security.
Password protecting however is also not hard to do and can be done at the desktop level. Your Windows computer likely even has the software built into it, so there are no added costs, just a little bit of time. It's well worth it to protect your data. All you need to do is zip up those files, password protect them, and email them the same way you would otherwise. This will ad a much larger step to the next level if someone wants to get your information. Just be sure not to include the password in the email. It's best to call the person and give them the password.
So, how can you create a password protected zip file?
Using Windows XP (Windows 7 is similar, if you can't figure it out, post a comment on here and I'll create those instructions also)
1. Using Windows Explorer, locate the first file you want to zip. To open Windows Explorer: Start > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer
2. Right click on the file and select “Send To” and “Compressed (zipped) Folder.” This will create a new compressed folder with the same name as the file, except with the extension .zip.
3. Right click any other file you want to compress and select “Copy.”
4. Right click on the compressed folder you created in step 2 and select “Paste.” The copied file was pasted into the compressed folder. Repeat this until your compressed folder contains all the files you want.
5. Right click on the compressed folder and select “Explore.”
6. In “File,” select “Add a Password.” Enter the password and confirm the password.
Done. Now you can email that document and although it is not encrypted, it is not totally naked to prying eyes.
For questions on how we further can help you or your staff work more efficiently and securely, contact us at sales@agnitek.com. Have a great day.