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To encrypt or not to encrypt? That is the question. The answer includes Shakespeare, Orwell and car immobilisers. Buckle up!
With the help of a couple of literary greats and a car analogy, this article looks at the reasons why encryption gets overlooked, why it shouldn’t, and five benefits you may not have thought of.
Why is encryption overlooked? Many SMBs in the UK assume that a robust spam filter and flagging of potential phishing emails is sufficient. Many email providers, including Microsoft 365, provide entry-level security features that can be misconstrued as enterprise-class encryption.
When you buy a car, it can be tempting to opt out of upsells options. After all, the sales rep showing you extras such as car immobilisers and vehicle tracking can seem too much. If you have already spent close to your budget, paid extras can be the first to go.
But trying to make a saving on encryption or treating it as an optional extra is a mistake. Viewing encryption as ‘out of budget’ because it is offered as an extra paid feature with modular-priced SaaS license agreements leaves organisations exposed.
This packaging can create the impression with IT and finance teams that encryption is an optional extra, when really it is an absolute necessity. Staying with the car buying analogy, it’s the equivalent of asking the sales rep for a discount for selling you the car without door locks.
Encryption is important for three main reasons:
There are the key benefits of taking an email encryption service.
These factors refer us back to our Shakespearian introduction of whether to encrypt or not to encrypt. The overwhelming evidence suggests that encryption is a wise decision, and for the sake of a modest investment, it provides complete peace of mind with email security.
Continuing our literary theme, it’s also important to consider Orwell’s notion that all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Email encryption providers are no different.
Simply put, not all encryption providers use the same approach. Complete, end-to-end encryption should be the objective. SSL / TLS encryption can be flawed because the mail provider holds the encryption key, not the email’s recipient. Should the mail provider themselves be hacked, their customers’ data could be compromised. Other forms of encryption such, while more secure, can cause readability problems between different mail providers.
Email encryption services such as Libraesva provide the best of both worlds, and prove that some tools are indeed more equal than others. Users can send secure email with one-time or recipient-based keys depending on preference and required security levels.
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