Communication within the workplace is critical for productivity, particularly during unprecedented times caused by COVID-19 and many people still working from home. This has become more important than ever for both internal and client communication as a lack of encrypted communications poses the risk of data being intercepted as well as failure to comply with GDPR regulations and specific industry compliance with data protection. There has been a rise in coronavirus related cybersecurity scams and malicious activity over the last few months, with over 500,000 account credentials from popular video platform Zoom being sold on the darknet, with hackers sharing more than 2,300 usernames and passwords, including corporate accounts.
Encryption is essential for securing data protection and privacy, either in transit or stored on devices. It can provide peace of mind that communications will not be intercepted, and that sensitive information stored on devices can’t be exfiltrated in the event of loss or theft. The value of encryption extends beyond proactive safety, as many organizations are obligated to encrypt sensitive information, with steep penalties for damages resulting from regulatory noncompliance.
Researchers and hackers are constantly looking for potentially exploitable vulnerabilities. China developed a method to find collisions that worked faster than brute force. To prevent brute force techniques, use state of the art cryptographic algorithms with appropriate key sizes (with min. 128-bit security), wherever applicable. Minimally, make sure strong corporate password policies and hashing methods coupled with MFA from independently audited and certified vendors. Apply industry best practices in mobile/web/system security wherever sensitive user keys/passwords are utilised.
As a business owner, a top priority should be your company’s digital business assets. By using communications software that is not encrypted you are putting your data at risk unnecessarily. Therefore, implementing is an effective solution to combatting this. Whether this is a meeting or client customer communication, it is important to keep every conversation protected with an encrypted messenger. By implementing data classification structure as well as AES-256 encryption, you can ensure maximum protection for your company. These encrypted phone calls can be incorporated within the office as well as for those travelling on business or working from home.
RealTyme uses public key cryptography to authenticate users, and for secure key exchange to establish a session key.
The data is encrypted using symmetric algorithms, and a different, unique, one-time session key for used for each call, message, or file transfer.
Recent statistics have shown that 66% of SMBs have experienced some form of cyber-attack, with this due to a majority not having a cyber-attack response plan, with 32% identifying new measures needed to prevent future attacks. By using collaboration software or encrypted communications of any kind, you are adding an extra layer of protection for your business. Additionally, encryption software can be incorporated into cloud storage and other internal applications to ensure maximum security at all times.
The final benefit of encrypted instant messaging is productivity. By reducing the potential of a cyber-attack, you are also reducing downtime for the business as a result. These internal communications also help to improve responsiveness and ensure maximum productivity at all times. It is this level of productivity that is needed when running a business. These encrypted phone calls can be answered across multiple devices and provide protection and peace of mind both with internal communications and communication with clients. This, therefore, should be of paramount importance for any kind of business.
At RealTyme, we are specialists in secure and encrypted communications solutions – why not find out more today by requesting an invite to see our products in action.