Almost daily there are new horror stories about e-mail disasters and lost or stolen customer and employee information. Yet e-mail containing information such as account numbers, social security numbers and other data continues to be passed around by millions daily without a thought to the consequences. The incidents getting the most publicity are from big corporations and government agencies hit by thieves or hurt by careless workers, yet small businesses' brand and revenue potential are just as vulnerable.
According to The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 90 million records containing confidential information about individuals have been stolen from U.S. organizations since February 2005. The 2006 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey finds that unauthorized access and theft of proprietary information tops the list of sources of financial loss.
Small businesses that don't protect sensitive e-mail information, particularly employee and customer data, can wind up in serious hot water. Revealing private information can hurt a small business' reputation, put a business at a disadvantage with competitors and land a small-business owner in an expensive court case.
Lawyers are increasingly suing businesses for the emotional distress caused by not taking care of private information. Whether someone is an accountant, restaurant owner or telecommuter, what they put in e-mail can one day become key evidence in litigation.
Most people don't realize that when an e-mail is sent, all control over that information is lost. It can easily be forwarded, cut and copied, stolen or altered. In the past, technology for safeguarding e-mail, such as encryption, was just too hard to use, too expensive, and too much work to integrate into daily business operations. But thanks to new e-mail anti-theft software, small businesses now have a new tool for controlling their e-mail and keeping it private.
New E-mail
Anti-Theft Protection
Essential Taceo™ is e-mail anti-theft software that prevents unintended access and misuse of information sent via e-mail. With a Microsoft® Outlook® "Send Secure" toolbar add-in, small businesses can prevent forwarding, editing, printing and print screen capture of outbound e-mail contents while applying encryption to protect the safe delivery of their e-mail. With Taceo, access is denied to anyone beyond the intended recipient.
Taceo integrates with Outlook, giving small businesses the power to exchange information securely with an e-mail program they already use and understand. It does not require special technical skills or a server infrastructure-it simply works with a small business owner's existing PC.
Essential Taceo costs $59 per year.
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For more information and a free trial version, go to www.essentialsecurity.com.
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