When Google recently announced that it is ready to roll its encryption services to Gmail; it probably came as a major cultural shock to most of its users who had thought that using Gmail is as secure as using Protonmail or Titan. The email provider simply ensures that data (the text and the identity of recipients of the email) is secure in transit by encrypting them during transmission. However, when it is at rest; i.e., when they are stored on Google servers, they are in clear text. This makes them readable for third-parties like internet service providers as well as client email service providers.
Connection Between WhatsApp Chats’ Privacy and Unencrypted Email Services
Given that the highest percentage of cyberattacks are carried out via email; this issue is worrisome. The end to end encryption offered by WhatsApp protects your WhatsApp messages, and personal chats as long as it is stored in your message box. However, given that these messages are backed up to your email, they become easily hackable, and privacy is jeopardized. It might be plain snooping by a nosy individual, or part of investigations being carried out by law enforcement agencies; the bottom line remains that privacy can be easily put at risk.
You Could Be Endangering Secret Negotiations
It is not simply providing grist to the rumor mills. There are graver issues at stake. Just consider: suppose your organization is in discussions with another organization regarding a merger, business takeover, or negotiating over a major project; the last thing you want is that others should get to know even that you are holding meetings with each other, let alone what the topic of discussion is. So, whether you have exchanged emails on the main issues up for discussion or negotiation, or sent a confirmatory message on WhatsApp to specify time and place of a meeting; you could be handing your competitors, or gossip columnists, data on a golden platter.
Insecure Emailing Is an Open Invitation to the Bad Guys
Whenever you exchange unencrypted emails, it is like telling cyberattackers that the gate to your house is open, and anyone can attack at will. Remember, that when email service providers do not use the application level protocols ― Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), or Transport Layer Security (TLS) ― they provide a cyberattack vector which can be exploited at will. Such attackers might also intercept email communications, or illegally enter email accounts. TLS or SSL provide a command to the email server to assure secure communication between two computers over the internet. StartTLS is the communication through which an insecure connection is upgraded to a secure internet communication. This assures end-to-end encryption which keeps emails secured at every stage.
Benefits of Encryption Which Might Have Evaded Your Notice
Encryption protects the identity of both sender and recipient/s, the contents of the emails and the subsequent chain, and personal details like user names, passwords, and other such sensitive information often found in emails. Further, it assures the privacy and authenticity of both the sender and the message, while ensuring the integrity of the data; i.e., that the data has not been tampered with. These are critical aspects for all healthcare providers who are classified as “covered entities”, since confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility (CIA) of PHI are compulsory under the Security Rule of HIPAA. Add to this that when encrypted email is intercepted by a hacker or other cybercriminal, then, all they will get is garbled text since only the email server and the client have the decryption keys.
Double Jeopardy in Case of Litigation
It is worse if you are in the midst of litigation. If you have shared documents on either email or WhatsApp with your lawyer, or your client; then it is double jeopardy. Your opposing side, or prosecution, might get to view them before they are intended to, and prepare themselves accordingly. There is also the risk of accidentally sending the email to the wrong recipient. Then, a third-party who is totally unconnected with the case might get to learn about things which are not for public disclosure. However, when emails are encrypted If the data has any kind of protected health information (PHI); then such disclosure would constitute not just a data breach, but a major HIPAA violation too. Under such circumstances, you might want to utilize the services of other email service providers which offer encryption at every stage.
Check Your Options Before You Choose
You would be well advised to weigh your options when choosing an email service provider to amp your secure emailing. There are free and paid service providers with diverse offerings. You might want to opt for an ad free, enterprise level secure email service which offers you additional features like VPN services, e-signature tools, and antispam to protect you against vulnerability to viruses, while reducing junk emails.
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