Transmitting confidential records via the Internet is a task that needs to be taken very seriously. After all, new news stories come out every day about data breaches and the devastating impacts they have on both consumers and the companies that came under attack. In many cases, companies that suffer data breaches wind up facing not just large fines but also strong public scrutiny that damages reputations and can spell the end of otherwise promising careers.
Whether a company works in a highly regulated industry like healthcare or finance or it handles confidential records that could divulge trade secrets if brought to light, secure transmission is essential. This article will take a look at the best way to securely transmit confidential records online without having to worry about compliance issues or potential data breaches. The method in question is secure online faxing.
What Is Secure Online Faxing?
Online faxing is sometimes referred to as digital faxing or cloud faxing. However, all of these terms refer to the same idea. Secure online faxing is a method of faxing sensitive information via the Internet using advanced data security protocols. It’s just one subset of digital faxing services, but it’s the best option for any company that handles confidential information.
Digital Faxing for Healthcare Companies
The healthcare industry is one of the most highly regulated sectors in today’s economy, and not without good reasons. Healthcare companies, including not just hospitals and clinics but also laboratories, insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, and others all handle sensitive patient information every day.
Known as protected health information (PHI), this type of personal data must be secured while in transit to prevent unauthorized access. Companies that fail to ensure the safe transmission of PHI are subject to fines for non-compliance and often suffer significant losses in public trust.
When looking for a digital faxing service for healthcare companies, make sure the service provider has adequate security measures in place and is willing to sign a business associate agreement. In this case, adequate security measures include:
- Multifactor authentication requirements
End-to-end file encryption
Secure connections
Physical security for servers
And more
The net effect of the provider’s security features should be to prevent anyone other than authorized parties from sending or receiving faxes or accessing the data stored in the cloud.
Trustworthy Service Providers
While only companies that work within or adjacent to the healthcare industry are subject to HIPAA, all businesses can benefit from working with online faxing services that are able to meet its strict data security and privacy requirements. Digital faxing services that can meet HIPAA’s strict regulations will have no problem with helping their clients maintain strict confidentiality.
When choosing a service provider, stakeholders should also keep factors such as flexibility and scalability in mind. Today’s most successful companies started out as small businesses before experiencing exponential growth. Working with a secure online faxing service that provides plans for companies of all sizes can help to avoid a lot of growing pains.
Take the Time to Understand the Options
When making business decisions that could impact the organization’s ability to keep sensitive information secure, it’s never wise to make a hasty decision. Instead, take the time to investigate different providers and products, then choose one that has robust security protocols in place and takes the confidentiality of its clients’ documents as seriously as they do.
