Top 3 Security Benefits Of Online Faxing

3 Security Benefits of Online Faxing

Internet fax offers multiple security advantages, including:

1. Encryption

The Internet Society defines encryption as “the process of scrambling or enciphering data so it can be read only by someone with the means to return it to its original state.” If an internet fax service utilizes encryption, only authorized recipients can decode and read the faxes sent.

Here are some of the standard encryption methods used by secure online faxing providers:

• SSL/TLS encryption: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are popular encryption protocols. They establish a secure and encrypted connection between the devices of senders and recipients, ensuring that they are safe from interception and tampering.
• AES encryption: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is considered the industry standard for encryption today, replacing the older Data Encryption Standard (DES). Used by governments, businesses, and organizations in various industries, including healthcare, AES is suitable for a wide range of applications. It is a symmetric type of encryption, using the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. It owes its impenetrability to its ability to substitute and permutate bits of data in multiple rounds. AES can be 128, 192, or 256-bit, referring to the encryption key length. A longer key length generally provides stronger security.
• PGP encryption: Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is another widely used encryption method that uses symmetric and asymmetric encryption. It is often used to encrypt email but can also be adapted to online fax.
• End-to-end encryption: (E2EE) prevents unauthorized third parties from intercepting data during transmission. Fax is encrypted in the sender’s device or system, and only the intended receiver can decrypt it.
• Zero-knowledge encryption: In this method, the software provider does not have access to encryption keys. Only the sender and recipient can decrypt and access the data.

2. Access Control

Access control ensures that only authorized users can send, receive, and access faxes. Online fax services can implement user authentication and other authorization mechanisms for proper access control.

Here’s a quick overview of what these mechanisms entail:

• User authentication: Users are required to provide credentials such as usernames and passwords to access their accounts.
• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): MFA requires users to provide multiple verification methods before they can access their accounts. For example, they might be asked to provide a password and input a code sent to their mobile device.
• Role-based Access Control (RCBAC): An online fax service may allow administrators to designate authorized users based on their job roles. Different roles are granted different levels of access.
• Time-based access control: This method lets administrators set specific time frames for users to access a fax. This feature is handy for granting temporary access to data.
• Audit trails: Online fax providers can provide detailed logs of user activities. Businesses can use this record for risk management analysis. It can also help them review unusual activities in their system.
• Access revocation: This feature allows users to remove access to specific users or documents in case of security concerns. For example, employees shouldn’t be able to use or access their fax accounts when they resign.

3. Secure Storage

Adding to the many security benefits of online faxing is secure storage. After all, traditional fax methods often result in documents lying around unattended. There’s a higher tendency for files to get lost or misplaced. 

Online faxing, on the other hand, offers secure cloud-based storage, eliminating the need for physical file cabinets. Such a benefit removes the worry of mishandling paper documents. Plus, there are more secure measures to keep sensitive faxes safe from unauthorized access, such as password protection and user identity verification.