Since the revolution of the internet, many traditional technologies have been replaced with digital fixtures. But the fax technology is widely used in big and small corporations. What is the mystery behind this old technology, and what has made it so resilient? Here, we will try to address the most common debate of fax vs email in the office space, and discuss some of the important fax security features that are missing in the email.
Fax vs Email – What’s the Difference?
Fax machines send data through the public switched telephone network which is served and monitored under strict security protocols. The information in the fax is sent from the sender to the receiver directly without traversing through unsecured open public domains, servers and phishing agents. The only way a fax can be intercepted is through manual intervention, which happens to be very difficult. Even if the hacker manages to get physical access, the signal cannot be decoded because it will only appear as noise.The fax system is used by many organizations dealing with confidential documents including the legal firms, medical services and even big companies who cannot afford to have their data leaked. The other big advantage of fax vs email is that the sender is always notified when the fax is received. The fax letter can be quickly printed and signed in ink making it a legally binding document. In fact, that is one of the reasons why people prefer fax to email because digital signatures although sometimes accepted, cannot always be verified.
Fax Security Features
In the fax vs email debate, security is a major deciding factor. Fax security features are solid, and that is why the growth of fax has been steadily increasing year by year. More people are turning to fax as the inherent problems in the email are appearing. Emails are unreliable and more susceptible to malicious scams, identity thefts, and phishing. The sender is not always notified about the receipt of the email, and if the mail server’s whitelist is improperly configured, the email can be silently ignored without notice. Emails have become more of a marketing tool which makes them more prone to scams. Another drawback is that email is not a legal document, and to prove the authenticity of an email in a court is very difficult. These factors along with the resilience of fax security make fax machines the popular choice when it comes to transmitting sensitive information.
The cloud-based faxing solution emerges
With the changing technological space, the cloud-based faxing solution has emerged to replace the traditional fax machines. Cloud-based faxing maintains the security of the traditional fax but incorporates the benefits of email. The messages sent through cloud faxing are encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security protocols, and only the receiver can decode them. The sender has the ability to monitor the transmission of the fax from the time he sends the message. This is a huge advantage of fax over email because transmissions cannot be monitored in the email system. See also: Advantages of online faxing
Looking for a secure online fax service to send sensitive data?
If you are tempted by the advantages of fax over email and looking for a reliable and secure online fax service, give FAX.PLUS a try. Our secure online fax solution can be used for sending and receiving data and thanks to becoming a HIPAA compliant fax service, users can transmit their sensitive data. Check out the FAX.PLUS features to learn more about the advantages of our cloud-based faxing solution.
