Author – Galina Datskovsky

Much has been said in the media about encrypted communication and the security it provides, especially over the last year due to various cases where mobile devices were the star. Everywhere we look it seems that companies are offering end-to-end encryption in response to hackers intercepting messages and stealing information. The fact is, encryption is very effective at protecting information from the man in the middle attack. However, many breaches and leaks of information happen due to very different circumstances.

 

 

  • The intended recipient of a text posts the information onto Facebook or Twitter
  • The intended recipient of a text inadvertently or intentionally forwards the information to the wrong group of people
  • The sender of a text makes a mistake and sends it to the wrong person or group of people.
  • The sender of a text or the intended recipient lose their device and someone breaks the device security (if password protected) and gets at the information. (Of course if the devices use biometrics, this can be a bit more difficult.)

In all these examples, there is one prevalent theme – that of Sender Control, or the lack there of, of the content.

Giving up control of the content you send can lead to drastic consequences. True security needs to provide multiple levels of controls to protect from unintended propagation, sharing and misuse. While encryption is indeed essential, without additional safeguards your content can still be at risk. Advanced protocols, such as sender controls, are essential for true content protection. These controls prohibit certain actions from being taken. Using the examples from above, sender controls would lead to much different results.

  • The intended recipient would not be able to post the information onto Facebook or Twitter. Recipients are not able to print, save or share information received.
  • The intended recipients would not be able to inadvertently or intentionally forward the information as the sender controls distribution.
  • If a sender makes a mistake and sends a text to a wrong person or group of people they can easily shred the messages from the recipient’s devices, even if they have already been sent, and
  • The sender or the intended recipient might lose a device but the information will not be at risk, as the sender can shred the messages automatically or on demand.

In a world of oversharing the need for increased security, advanced security – more than encryption as an offering is paramount. Don’t settle for anything less.

To find out more about sender controls as well as other advanced protocols that can be used to protect your content, contact Vaporstream and speak to one of our security experts.