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2012/10/25 11:47:50

The protected sending confidential documents by e-mail

Almost daily we use e-mail as means for transfer of important documents to other people. As a rule, such transfer is performed for security perimeter of the organization. I.e. documents go to external receivers. Now we will not say about how the system of protection of internal information at the enterprise is organized. But how to be with the documents leaving the organization with documents which use we cannot control in any way?

You look the directory of DLP solutions and projects at TAdviser.

The traditional DLP systems (Data Loss Prevention or Data Leak Prevention) control sending information out of limits of the company, and theoretically do not allow confidential information to leave its limits. However, so far as concerns need to send confidential information to the external receiver how we can be sure of its safety?

Let's designate several key requirements to sending confidential information:

  • the document should not get into strange hands
  • the one to whom we send the document was a receiver
  • it is necessary that the protected document could not be browsed on the computer or the device which is not belonging to the receiver
  • the protected document should not be printed (if on that there is no permission)
  • it is impossible to make Print Screen from the screen displaying the document
  • In other words, we want that the protected document remained confidential.

E-mail is conveniently and quickly. Couple of clicks and the document attached to the message left to the receiver. Therefore people everywhere use this method of transfer of electronic materials at distance. At the same time methods of ensuring confidentiality of an investment can be different.

Let's consider several methods of protection e-mail of investments.

Set the password on the document. Tell the password to the receiver.

  • + Quickly enough and conveniently
  • Extremely unreliable data protection
  • The protected investment is stored at the receiver in not encrypted form
  • The investment can be open on other computer with the same password

Cipher an investment and put to the electronic message. Transfer to the receiver the key decrypting information

  • + Reliable data protection
  • Certificates of public keys – paid. It is not so simple receive them to the ordinary person or the organization
  • The decrypted investment is stored at the receiver in the unprotected type
  • The investment can be open on other computer if the decryption key is known

Configure a secure channel of communication between the sender and the receiver.

  • + Rather reliably
  • As a rule, you not always know a coma you will send important information
  • Information is stored at the receiver in the unprotected type
  • The investment can be open on other computer

Sending by the courier sealed (and it is possible also notarized) copies of the document

  • + Rather reliably
  • The paper document is stored in the unprotected type
  • Store a physical entity less conveniently, than electronic
  • Process long is also connected with additional efforts
  • Documents can be stolen and browsed by the third parties

Automatic protection of an investment before sending by means of the mail server

  • + Reliable data protection
  • + Quickly, conveniently: does not demand additional actions from the sender
  • + Information is stored at the protected receiver
  • Additional costs on installation of the module of protection of investments on the mail server

Image:защищённая почта.jpg

It is obvious that in certain cases methods 1-4 can be of interest. However, in daily practice they considerably complicate process of transfer of the confidential document.

If the task securely and quickly to protect an investment electronic posts stands, then installation of the special module of protection of investments on the mail server of the organization becomes the natural choice. This method has a number of indisputable advantages over the others and statistics of use of an investment solves all essential problems, including viewing.

Kalinichenko Mikhail, CEO of SafenSoft company: "For the sender it is extremely important not to be the protected investment which is deeply technically involved in the mechanism of sending the letter with. In other words, process of sending the confidential letter should not differ in anything from sending the normal, unprotected letter. I often should direct the important information which is of commercial value for both parties of correspondence. Convenient it would be simple to enclose to the confidential document letter and to send it. And the receiver on the party receives already the letter with the protected investment."