Where do the lines of public and private messaging intersect? In an increasingly saturated information age, those lines are becoming increasingly blurred. Even the fashionistas from Glamor magazine have commented on how email has become a public space simply by pressing the “forward” button. In the September 2005 issue of Glamour, his column Ask Jake asked, “Do you kiss and email each other?” This article discussed the truism that more often than not, because of that pesky forward button, email is a public announcement.
With every tap and forward of an email, your subject line becomes as intrusive as the National Enquirer headline’s bold cry “Sight of the Bat Boy!” The fundamental quality of email, internet, IM is its potential binary permanence to be pondered and discussed, answered and published on the web. “Western history is full of…words consulted and confused as if they were scripture”(1) Living a new life by email beyond its intended recipients is an extension of what the information age is all about: being connected and stay connected.
The appeal of online communication and email communication is its immediacy, but that too is tricky. When the send button is pressed, your message appears to instantly go from your computer to the recipient’s inbox.
This seems instantaneous, but it really isn’t. Almost all email messages make temporary stops along the way, as they are directed by proprietary servers to their final destination. As messages arrive at each of these stops, they are often stored and sometimes copied or even scanned before being sent. Information interception is not just about who forwards your message, but also who can get hold of that message when it’s on its way.
Even if an email is stored for a microsecond during transfer, many emails can be classified as “stored communications.” Courts in the United States recognize that stored communications are subject to an “inherent loss of privacy” and can be legally read by the server owner. in which they were stored (2). Neither the sender nor the recipient should be informed that their email message and its attachments have been read.
Using strong encryption for streaming content largely solves this problem. If an unwanted party intercepts an encrypted message (unless they have somehow obtained the encryption keys), they will not be able to decrypt the message. If the interceptor attempts to crack any of the commonly used encryption algorithms, it would be hard-pressed to do so in its lifetime. You’d better try to crack the cryptographic code in Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Gold Bug.”
If encryption works so well, why don’t more people encrypt their sensitive information? For certain types of communications and transactions, encryption is already used, such as with online banking and shopping. Email and document encryption, on the other hand, has largely remained a luxury for large companies using Enterprise Rights Management (ERM) software and the technical elite.
Right now, due in large part to the complications resulting from key exchange, effectively integrating encryption software into the daily workflow is quite challenging. Encryption simply hasn’t been easy enough for the small to medium business or average computer user. However, for any business enterprise, regardless of the size of the organization, it is necessary to control email and document communications.
Implementing encryption solutions does not have to be a financial burden. Rights management solutions can now be for small and medium-sized businesses or for individual companies as well. Small Business Rights Management (SBRM) solutions provide smaller-scale businesses with the same level of encryption and user rights management previously available to large enterprises.
Standard ERM or SBRM software gives content authors the power to determine how recipients can use their email and documents. For example, senders can prevent unauthorized distribution (no forwarding, printing) and unauthorized editing (no cutting, copying, pasting) of content, i.e. copy prevention.
Email and document security is no longer just an option for businesses, it’s a necessity. According to a 2005 FBI study on computer crime, financial losses from the unauthorized distribution of digital information doubled from the previous year. The study went on to specify that companies are more concerned that confidential messages (75.7% of participants) and intellectual property (71.4%) leave the organization through email. Combine those facts with the reality of expensive user licenses charged by developers of enterprise software solutions, and many small business operators may find themselves locked out due to budget constraints. This prevents them from taking advantage of best practice strategies that ensure the security of their intellectual property and the privacy of their communication.
Compliance when it comes to digital data is finally catching up with the expanding business sector, which is hit hard by the success of small businesses.
Small businesses facing compliance issues can turn to SBRM solutions to bridge the gap between keeping up with industry regulations and staying in business. Client tests, patient/client information, private communication and proposals can remain discreet with SBRM solutions; smaller businesses don’t have to worry about their email content becoming a public announcement. SBRM solutions keep it a secret, adjusting the breadth of the message so that only the intended recipients receive it.
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Final notes:
1.) Patricial Nelson Limerick, Eds. Julie Bates Dock, “Making the Most of Words: Verbal Activity and Western America.” The Press of Ideas, (Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, Boston: 1996.) 219.
2.) “You’ve Got Mail” New York Times, July 6, 2004
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Additional Business Resources:
1.) Wikipedia articles:
– Copy protection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_prevention
– Small Business Rights Management (SBRM) – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Rights_Management]
2.) Small Business Administration – http://www.sba.gov/
3.) President Bush’s Small Business Agenda – http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/smallbusiness/agenda.html
4.) Business.gov Business.gov guides you through the maze of government rules and regulations and provides access to services and resources to help you start, grow, and succeed in business: http://www.business.gov/ index. html
