How encrypted communication can help to safeguard your business, employees, and clients.
We live in a digital-first world, and as technology evolves, cybercrime quickly becomes more complex. This poses a significant challenge for businesses when it comes to data protection. In this article, we’re going to discuss seven reasons why secure communication is a necessity for organisations. Secure comms can be used as a WhatsApp replacement while keeping messages secure from third-party surveillance. So, if you’re looking to improve data security while enhancing customer experience, read on!
4. Protect Against Cyber Attacks
5. Ensure Secure Remote Access
7. Maintain Transparency and Accountability
Salt Encrypted Communication App
1. Deter Hackers
One of the most obvious reasons to use secure communication is to prevent sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. If you’re transmitting confidential information over an unsecured platform such as WhatsApp, there’s a chance that it could be intercepted by hackers or other malicious actors. Mobile devices when used to communicate as a business can expose a company to a wide range of sophisticated attacks. ¹
By using a secure communications platform, you can protect your data from being compromised and significantly minimize your risk of a data breach. While this is good practice, it can also help protect your company’s reputation and finances. Even minor data breaches can be detrimental to a business and cost a company thousands in compensation whilst derailing its reputation within its respective industry.
2. Advanced Privacy
Business conversations need to be kept confidential in order to protect the privacy of all parties involved. If proprietary information were to leak out, it could damage relationships or give competitors an advantage. With secure communications, you can have private conversations with colleagues without having to worry about them being intercepted by third-party surveillance.
This is particularly important as more companies are now hiring freelance professionals as well as allowing existing employees to work remotely and from home. While a company might be tempted to use an instant messaging service, this can make a business vulnerable, as sensitive client data is passed back and forth, along with log-in details and/or payment information.
This also applies if you’re working with an overseas team or frequently travel abroad. A secure communications app can help protect your conversations from prying eyes and unsecure WIFI connections.
3. To Be Compliant
If you’re a business that operates in highly regulated industries, secure communications can help improve your overall compliance efforts. By using secure messaging rather than WhatsApp to communicate with employees and customers, you can make sure data is being protected while at the same time following all necessary regulations. This will be beneficial for several reasons, including to secure customer trust.
In some cases, secure communications is a legal requirement. For example, many organizations need to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule when communicating about patient health information. If your company deals with EU customers, you may also need to be GDPR compliant. While this can feel overwhelming at first, start by using encrypted communications via a WhatsApp replacement that offers advanced security and helps you to become compliant with the most up-to-date regulations.
In fact, as part of GDPR, sensitive client data must be removed once it is no longer needed. Salt secure communications platform enables our clients to purge information from devices such as laptops and smartphones either manually or via a timer setting to make this process easier than ever. According to Timothy Liu, the CTO and co-founder of Hillstone Networks, any breach of data, be it due to ransomware or a direct attack, can result in steep fines and other penalties for the organization for noncompliance. 2
4. Protect Against Cyber Attacks
Secure comms can also help you to protect your business, employees, and clients from more serious cyber-attacks. While a data breach may simply involve customer data being sent by mistake to a third party, but with no serious consequences to your customers or clients, a cyber-attack could take down your entire website. Some cyberattacks have involved criminals exporting customer’s payment information and personal details which have been used as a bargaining chip for millions of dollars. It is your responsibility to use encrypted communication to prevent this from happening as well as having insurance in place to offer legal and financial support should this happen in the future.
5. Allow For Secure Remote Access
Secure remote access is a combination of security processes or solutions that are made to stop unauthorised access to a business’s digital assets and sensitive data. Remote employees and contractors need to be able to securely access sensitive data when they’re working from home or on the go. In 2021, cybercrime cost companies $6 trillion according to one study by Cybersecurity Ventures. 3
Without secure remote access, a company may not be able to offer freelance, remote and work from home opportunities, which are now becoming increasingly popular among professionals. Failing to offer such positions can be detrimental to your business success, as the freedom and flexibility of working remotely is now a top priority for highly skilled and experienced professionals worldwide.
However, just one small mistake by one employee can end up creating a door for individuals and groups wishing your company harm. One of the best ways to protect your business when working remotely is to use secure remote access. Providing this access in many cases is not enough, you must also take this a step further by ensuring all staff are fully aware of the threat of cyberattacks as well as trained on how to operate securely online when away from the office.
Even with secure mote access, there is still an increase in businesses’ reliance on instant messaging services such as WhatsApp to freely communicate with each other and clients. These systems provide further opportunities arise for human error or cybercrime. ⁴ The use of these systems while working remotely provide an easy example of why secure communications will be a crucial platform for businesses globally in 2022. When discussing important matters remotely, many businesses are relying on insecure forms of communication and/or collaboration tools, which are insufficient. If you can’t be in the same room, secure communications is a must.
6. Enhance Data Security & Trust
Many businesses choose to use secure communications tools as an alternative to traditional email services because they are more secure and protect against ransomware attacks that often target emails. Secure messaging can also be helpful when it comes to secure file sharing. Freely discuss client details with members of your team in real-time, without the risk of the data being intercepted, stolen, or leaked. While this of course helps a business to step up their level of data security, as we mentioned above, it also helps to build trust. Customers can confidently discuss information with your team, knowing that the communication is encrypted and protected. This can significantly improve customer experience, as the conversation can be in real-time.
At Salt, we offer an encrypted file transfer service that allows our customers to send and share confidential documents, sensitive images, and multiple file attachments that are completely encrypted end-to-end, stepping up your level of data security.
7. Maintain Transparency and Accountability
In some cases, secure communications can also be used to maintain transparency and accountability. For example, many organizations use secure communications platforms to record meeting minutes or track employee activity. By using a secure platform, you can ensure that all conversations both internally and between your business and your customers are logged and stored securely for future reference. This helps a company to become accountable and also transparent. Should they run into any legal issues, they will have all the evidence required to back up their business and security processes. By having secure comms in place, you can also take out corporate insurance to protect your company should you need legal help and assistance.
Salt Encrypted Communication Platform
While you might be tempted to use WhatsApp to communicate with customers, freelancers and your business connections, you could be putting your company at risk. With an estimated activity of 55 billion messages, 4.5 billion photos and 1 billion videos shared and exchanged each day, it is a lucrative opportunity for online criminals. ⁵
Secure communications platforms encrypt data in transit and at rest, helping to protect your conversations from potential adversaries. As the world’s most respected secure communications company, Salt helps to empower government, military, legal, and enterprise organisations. Our innovative security app features tools such as secure messaging, encrypted file transfer, secure voice calls, and screenshot protection, just to name a few.
Unlock the power and peace of mind of secure comms with a Salt free trial.
References:
2. https://www.govtech.com/blogs/lohrmann-on-cybersecurity/the-top-22-security-predictions-for-202
3. https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybercrime-damages-6-trillion-by-2021/
