Email Attachments and Privacy Laws

Are you compliant with customer information privacy laws when you email a PDF or Word document as an attachment to your insured, your underwriters or a bank?

According to Steve Anderson’s The Agency Automation Report, 45 states now have privacy laws regarding how you protect personally identifiable information on your customers and prospects.. That means your state most likely has one in place. Oh - and so does the Federal Government.

Email Attachments and Privacy Laws - Basically Not Secure or Compliant

Are email attachments normally compliant with the new privacy laws? Most of the opinions I hear from various insurance trade organizations suggest that if your emails are not encrypted, then emails with attachments are not compliant.

There is an email encryption technology called TLS which is often recommended. The problem with email encryption technologies as I understand them is that the same encryption has to be in place on the sender's and receiver's email system for it to work. The plain truth is that this is rarely the case. Since the services using TLS encryption cost money, this is not likely to be the case ever.

Two Proven Compliant Solutions

We offer two alternatives - both of which are compliant. Neither of our solutions requires additional technology at either your end or on the part of the person to whom you are sending documents.

The most secure way to provide access to electronic forms, documents, etc is to share them from a secure online site.

Our Cap Dat ACORD and SehHey sites are both such sites. Because the documents you are sharing are never an email attachment, they can be accessed easily and securely, opened, reviewed, modified, saved, printed or downloaded. The data security and encryption are all maintained by and constantly updated by us.

Your Customer Creates Their Own Account Access

The most secure way to share is to invite the person to whom you want to share the documents to create a free account with their own log on and password. You can do this with our service, but many people do not like to have yet another log on to remember. We have made this easier by allowing people to use their Facebook Connect logon. But some folks don't have Facebook.

Secure Guest Privileges Access Through Email Link

The other way we let you share is through our Guest Privileges Connection. With this you send the person with whom you want to share a form an email with a secure token link. The person then only has to click on the link and they are automatically open the form you wish to share. They can then save the form locally or print the form.

Which is Most Appropriate

Guest Privileges Connect is great for sharing things on a limited time basis. A good example is new or renewal applications. Guest Privileges Connect tokens time out automatically, but they are active for more than long enough to allow these types of tasks to get done.

The full SehHey Sharing service is more appropriate for long term sharing such as providing 24/7/365 access to proof of insurance forms, certificates of insurance, change requests and other online customer services.

Protect Your Customers and Yourself

Don’t leave yourself exposed to loss of customer information and customer trust.

Check out our solutions at…

http://www.simply-easier-acord-forms.com/sehhey-for-cda.html

and

http://www.simply-easier-acord-forms.com/email.html