Andreas Okle
Trust is good, encryption better
The confidential handling of all types of data is one of our most crucial quality criteria. From July 2008, therefore, we will encrypt information that needs to be protected.
We are currently pursuing the development of technical security packages, so that our customers can be sure that no one can view confidential data. We are working with our IT experts to develop appropriate security solutions. Secure, authenticated electronic communication can only be ensured with an efficient encryption solution.
It is in the interests of our business relationships to handle personal and business-critical data securely and confidentially. For this reason, we invest continuously in IT security, so that we can offer our customers solutions that guarantee a high level of security. From a legal point of view, the law requires a “reasonable duty of care in line with the status of the technology” as far as handling third-party data is concerned. But what do “reasonable” and “careful” actually mean? Using an encryption tool is not a regulation in itself. You often find a disclaimer at the end of an e-mail, a phrase renouncing responsibility, should the message end up in the wrong hands. You will not find any such disclaimer at the foot of any e-mail from Caminada, simply because it is more or less obligation-free.
However, one exception is e-mail encryption when exchanging sensitive data. Because the security of your data – “data traffic security” – is not just meaningless words to us and because it is important for a relationship to be based on trust, Caminada is at the forefront of this initiative. In future, we will be encrypting messages so that no one can gain access to valuable data being transmitted electronically between you and Caminada. This applies to all information classified as confidential by our customers. From July 2008, we will be able to e-mail confidential documents such as contracts, quotes or personnel records easily, securely and quickly by means of this technical solution, safe in the knowledge of access being secure.
This solution has the following benefits:
- It guarantees maximum security in accordance with the latest technological criteria
- It meets data protection standards
- It is easy to operate
What does e-mail encryption actually mean for you as a customer? You decide for yourself which of your data is particularly valuable. Naturally, a simple message such as, for example, an agreed deadline, will not require any security measures. However, you will need to identify from your own point of view which information must be particularly secure when corresponding with us, such as financial reports, personal data, account statements, annual accounts or tax-related data. In future, we will secure this data accordingly prior to transmission.
Our “easy to operate” solution is as follows: There are two possible variants:
- You are already using a security certificate or an e-mail encryption tool
If your own IT system is already equipped with what is known as a security certificate or an e-mail encryption tool, communication will continue as before, with no obvious changes. This information is important for us, because, in this case, only one initial step need be taken when the first e-mail is sent. The encryption and deciphering of all e-mails subsequently happens technically between both systems entirely in the background. - You are not using any security certificate or e-mail encryption tool
In this case, we shall initially provide you with a one-time password. You will then need to change the password to one of your own choosing. In future, when opening a mail marked ‘confidential’, you will need to enter this password.
