The cyber environment today leaves little room for error, making your clients feel like it is “mission impossible” to protect themselves. Many organizations trip-up by solely focusing on the ‘perimeter’ and disregarding a more in-depth layered security approach. Cybersecurity strategies should look like military fortifications, with multiple levels to prevent penetration. Encryption must be at the core of every business’ defense . When all else fails, encoding will withstand the test and protect even the most important data.
According to the Ponemon Institute Global Encryption Trends Study, 45% of the businesses surveyed have an encryption plan applied consistently across the entire enterprise, while 42% have a limited strategy. Where do your clients stand? Do they have their ducks in a row or are they like many others that have tried and failed to secure data due to pure inconvenience or complication? As an MSP, utilizing and offering a great tool that will effectively handle that job is a win-win.
While there are plenty of reasons why encryption should be the channel gold standard, let’s look at the top three.
1. Topline Protection
Perhaps the most obvious reason to implement encryption is that it works, plain and simple. In the same way one protects their home, when your clients’ data converts into ciphertext, only those with access to the key or password can read that information. The original text goes out using an algorithm that puts the words into a completely random line of numbers. Because there is no pattern, it is practically impossible for a hacker to decipher it without the key. Unlike many of the other cybersecurity technologies that MSPs commonly implement, encryption is by far the least penetrable.
2. Compliance
There isn’t a single business in 2019 that doesn’t have to adhere to certain regulations and compliance requirements. For example, the medical industry must comply with HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and HITECH, whereas financial institutions need to follow GLBA (The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act). All three of these laws require or highly recommend encryption to safeguard client information. No matter which legislation that your clients are bound by, encryption is a cheap alternative to paying fines for noncompliance. Whether regulated or not, you need to protect client information (and corporate data) in every facet of the creation and delivery chain, so utilizing an encryption service is a no-brainer.
3. Easy Options
Many organizations stumble due to the complications of implementing encryption technology, classifying what data to encrypt, and finding where sensitive data resides. All this becomes cumbersome and leaves some to ignore this critical process altogether. Fortunately, there are security options simple enough to cater to the most technologically-challenged client. With an encryption service like Mailprotector’s Bracket, your clients will spend very little time learning the process for receiving and sending messages because it is as easy as adding brackets “[ ]” to signify what information should be encrypted. All the recipient has to do is click on a link to get the message.
Encryption for All
There is an incredible amount of data that now needs to be protected thanks to the latest digital initiatives, expansion of IoT devices, and the continued growth of cloud computing. In the same way that businesses lock their office doors, so too should they be ‘locking’ their data to protect it from malicious actors. Many SMBs, like those that your MSP supports, are looking for the solutions that work effectively, help them maintain compliance, and are easy to use — encryption does that and more.
Cater to your client’s specific needs while also emphasizing your commitment to offering the best of the best by implementing those same solutions in your own business. Not only will your organization benefit from the added protection, but your customers will feel more secure in their purchase and the knowledge you provide.
