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Posts Tagged ‘compliance’

SSL versus TLS – What’s the difference?

Saturday, May 12th, 2018

SSL versus TLS

TLS (Transport Layer Security) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) are protocols that provide data encryption and authentication between applications and servers when that data is sent across an insecure network. The terms SSL and TLS are often used interchangeably or in conjunction with each other (TLS/SSL), but one is, in fact, the predecessor of the other. SSL 3.0 served as the basis for TLS 1.0, which, as a result, is sometimes referred to as SSL 3.1. With this said, is there a practical difference between the two?

SSL versus TLS: What is the differenc?

See also our Infographic which summarizes these differences.

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Why Should You Bother with Information Security? Isn’t Everything Hackable Anyway?

Thursday, June 1st, 2017

With the ever-increasing flow of large-scale hacks, many seem resigned to the fact that its only a matter of time before they get hit too. Security and its challenges have fully penetrated mainstream thought. Everyone knows that the CIA, the FBI, Russia, and even the hacker next door can break into your computer or phone, hijack your router, intercept your traffic, and take over your life.

In response, there has been a huge cry for better training, more secure software, secure email and secure texting. Basically, security everywhere. But if the hackers and agencies are really this powerful, why should you bother?

Cynbersecurity

Are security services and products worth anything these days? Do they actually provide any protection? Or are they the emperor’s new bullet-proof-vest? It is surprising how many people have come to accept a complete lack of security. Some seem to use this as an excuse to avoid technologies that could benefit both their personal and business lives.

A great example comes from a dentist who was interested in sending notices to his patients via text, but resigned himself to “not bothering” as there is “no way to secure these things, anyway.” While that may be true in an absolute sense, it is not true practically.

In this article we will examine the reasons why we should bother with security and how it can help us in our personal and business lives.

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Are you Minimizing your Risk by using the Next Generation of Opt In Email Encryption?

Friday, September 11th, 2015

We have long held that leaving it to each sender/employee to properly enable encryption for each sensitive message (a.k.a “Opt In Encryption”) is too risky.  Why? Any mistake or oversight immediately equals a breach and liability.

Instead, LuxSci has always promoted use of “Opt Out Encryption,” in which the account default is to encrypt everything unless the sender specifically indicates that the message is not sensitive.  The risk with Opt Out Encryption is very much smaller than with Opt In.  (See Opt-In Email Encryption is too Risky for HIPAA Compliance).

The problem is: many companies use Opt In Encryption because it is convenient when sending messages without sensitive information — you just send these messages “as usual,”  without forethought.  These companies are trading large risks in return for conveniences.

LuxSci has solved the “Opt In vs. Opt Out” conundrum with its SecureLine Email Encryption Service.  You could say that SecureLine enables the “Next Generation” of Opt In Email Encryption — combining both usability and security.

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HIPAA Compliant Emails Sent From your Web Site: Best Practices

Tuesday, January 7th, 2014

You buy a HIPAA compliant web hosting infrastructure.  You configure your web site to send out email messages in the simplest way, e.g. through PHP mail, or some other generic and standard mechanism.  You think you are all set — but you are not.

HIPAA compliant web hosting services provide a server infrastructure that allows you to be compliant; however, it doesn’t make you compliant.  Your web designers must make choices and program your site so that it properly respects ePHI.  If they do not do all the appropriate things, you will be out of compliance.  E.g. see: 7 steps to make your web site HIPAA-secure.

In particular, email messages sent in the “normal way” from a web site will go out insecurely in a way that will violate the HIPAA Security Rule if they contain ePHI of any kind.  E.g. they will not be encrypted and will not be archived.

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Do Law Firms have Data Security Liability?

Friday, July 19th, 2013

As of 2010, 91% of all law firms have 10 or fewer employees; 99.6% have less than 100 employees1.  The smaller the firm, the less likely they are to have a strong IT department and are much more likely to be focused on case load rather than on current changes in the compliance landscape that are now impacting them.  Indeed, one of the largest segments of new law firms are small practices run by folks that have left larger firms … and such folks arguably have less time to spend on such considerations with the amount of legal work per lawyer in the United States becoming increasingly less.

Email and messaging — more and more information is sent digitally.  For the legal profession, this is also increasingly true due to the time saving nature of such communications, the high time cost associated with legal work, and the ever-present push to get things done faster.

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