Email Doesn't Have to be a Public Announcement

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