| Where do the lines of public and private | | | | email and document communiqué is a |
| messaging cross? In an increasingly | | | | necessity.Implementing encryption solutions |
| saturated Information Age, those lines become | | | | doesn't have to be a financial burden. |
| blurrier and blurrier. Even the fashionistas | | | | Rights management solutions can now be for |
| of Glamour Magazine have commented on how | | | | small to medium-sized businesses or |
| email has become a public space by simply | | | | sole-proprietorships too. Small Business |
| hitting the "forward" button. In Glamour's | | | | Rights Management(SBRM) solutions provide |
| September 2005 issue, their Ask Jake column | | | | businesses of a smaller scale an equal level |
| queried, "Do You Kiss and Email?" This | | | | of user rights management and encryption |
| article discussed the truism that more often, | | | | previously available to large enterprise |
| due to that pesky forward button, email is a | | | | business.Standard ERM or SBRM software gives |
| public announcement.With each touch and | | | | content authors the power to determine how |
| forward an email its subject line becomes as | | | | recipients may use their email and documents. |
| obtrusive as the National Enquirer's bold | | | | For example, senders can prevent |
| screamer of a headline "Bat Boy Sighted!" | | | | unauthorized distribution (no forwarding, |
| The fundamental quality of the email, | | | | printing) and prevent unauthorized editing |
| internet, IM is its potential binary | | | | (no cut, copy, paste) of content, i.e. copy |
| permanence to be pondered and discussed, | | | | prevention.Email and document security is no |
| replied to and posted on the net. "Western | | | | longer simply an option for companies, it is |
| history is full of ...words consulted and | | | | a necessity. According to a 2005 FBI study |
| puzzled over as if they were Scripture"(1) | | | | regarding computer crime, financial losses |
| Email living a new life beyond it s intended | | | | stemming from the unauthorized distribution |
| recipients is an extension of what the | | | | of digital information doubled from the year |
| Information Age is - being connected and | | | | before. The study went on to specify that |
| staying connected.The lure to online | | | | businesses are most concerned that |
| communication and communicating via email is | | | | confidential messages (75.7% of participants) |
| its immediacy, but that too is deceiving. | | | | and intellectual property (71.4%) will leave |
| When the send button is hit, your message | | | | the organization via email. Couple those |
| appears to instantly pass from your computer | | | | facts with the reality of costly user |
| to the recipient's inbox.This seems | | | | licensing charged by enterprise software |
| instantaneous, but it really isn't. Nearly | | | | solution developers, and many small business |
| all email messages make transitory stops | | | | operators can be locked out due to budget |
| along the way as they are directed by | | | | constraints. This prevents them from taking |
| proprietary servers to their final | | | | advantage of best practice strategies that |
| destination. As messages arrive at each of | | | | ensure the security of their intellectual |
| these stops they are often stored, and | | | | property and the privacy of their |
| sometimes copied or even scanned before being | | | | communication.Compliance as it concerns |
| sent on. Information interception isn't just | | | | digital data is finally catching up to the |
| about who forwards your message on, but is | | | | widening commercial sector which is highly |
| also about who may seize that message when | | | | impacted by the success of small |
| it's en route.Even if an email is stored for | | | | businesses.Small firms dealing with |
| a microsecond during transfer many emails can | | | | compliance issues can turn to SBRM solutions |
| be classified as "stored communications" The | | | | to bridge the gap between staying current |
| United States Courts recognize that stored | | | | with industry regulations and staying in |
| communications are subject to an "inherent | | | | business. Client proofs, patient/client |
| loss of privacy" and can legally be read by | | | | information, private communiqué, and |
| the owner of the server on which they were | | | | proposals can stay discreet with SBRM |
| stored (2). Neither the sender nor recipient | | | | solutions; smaller firms don't have to worry |
| has to be informed that their email message | | | | that their email content becomes a public |
| and attachment's were read.Utilizing strong | | | | announcement. SBRM solutions keep it like a |
| encryption for the transmission of content | | | | secret, tuning the amplitude of the message |
| largely solves this problem. If an unwanted | | | | down for only its intended recipients to |
| party happens to intercept an encrypted | | | | receive.- - - - - - - - -End Notes:1.) |
| message (unless they have somehow gotten the | | | | Patricial Nelson Limerick, Eds. Julie Bates |
| encryption keys) they will not be able to | | | | Dock, "Making the Most of Words: Verbal |
| decipher the message. If the interceptor | | | | Activity and Western America." The Press of |
| attempts to break any one of the commonly | | | | Ideas, ( Bedford Books of St. Martin's Pres, |
| used encryption algorithms, they would be | | | | Boston: 1996.) 219.2.) "You've Got Mail" New |
| hard-pressed to do so within their lifetime. | | | | York Times, July 6, 2004- - - - - - - - |
| They would be better off trying to crack the | | | | -Additional Business Resources:1.) Wikipedia |
| cryptographic code in Edgar Alan Poe's "The | | | | Articles:- Copy Protection - Small Business |
| Gold Bug.'If it encryption works so well why | | | | Rights Management (SBRM) - Small Business |
| don't more people encrypt their sensitive | | | | Administration - President Bush's Small |
| information? For certain types of | | | | Business Agenda - Business.gov Business.gov |
| communiqué and transactions, encryption is | | | | guides you through the maze of government |
| already used, such as with banking and | | | | rules and regulations and provides access to |
| purchasing online. Encryption for email and | | | | services and resources to help you start, |
| documents on the other hand has largely | | | | grow, and succeed in business - article |
| remained the luxury of the large enterprise | | | | "Email Doesn't Have to be a Public |
| businesses using Enterprise Rights Management | | | | Announcement" was a collaboration between |
| (ERM) software and the technically elite.At | | | | Marilee Veniegas and Zachary Price. Ms. |
| this time, due largely to complications | | | | Veniegas joined the Marketing team at |
| resulting from key exchange effectively | | | | Essential Security Software, Inc. in 2005, |
| folding encryption software into ones daily | | | | she also serves as an editor for "I Want My |
| workflow turns out to be quite arduous. | | | | ESS!" a stolen work site and Small/Medium |
| Encryption just hasn't been easy enough for | | | | Business(SMB) business resource site. Mr. |
| the average small/medium sized business | | | | Price, a co-founder and organizing |
| enterprise or individual computer user. Yet | | | | shareholder of ESS, where he serves as the |
| for any business enterprise no matter the | | | | company's Product Manager. |
| size of the organization, keeping tabs on | | | | |