You probably don’t think twice when you send out an important business document via email. In fact, you might not even think that there is an alternative!
If you want to keep your electronic data in safe hands, it might also be worth considering electronic faxing as an alternative to email. Of course, no one method is unequivocally safer than others, but it’s worth exploring the pros and cons of both.
Why consider electronic faxing instead of email?
- If you are sending a document that you want to be legally binding, sending it via fax can make it so. This is, as long as it contains a digital signature.
- Electronic faxes are end-to-end encrypted to protect sensitive data.
- Electronic faxing is more resistant to malware and spam which is much more prevalent in email inboxes.
- If you like the idea of sending documents to someone’s email inbox instead of producing a physical copy, this can still be achieved through faxing. Most electronic fax providers allow you to send the document to the recipient’s email inbox.
- Emails need to pass through firewalls, servers and virus protection software. This means that the emails can be available to hackers at each stage of the process.
- You can be assured that you are receiving a legitimate document via fax. Email inboxes are liable to receiving phishing scams, which means that they receive links and documents from hackers which are designed to look unsuspicious.
Are there any drawbacks to faxing when compared to email?
- While it is safe, all fax machines use the same protocol to send and receive faxes. This means that if someone gains unauthorized access to your fax network, they could intercept anything you send.
- Naturally, any physical documents produced by a fax machine carry the risk of being picked up by someone other than the intended recipient. This is a risk to bear in mind if you place a fax machine in a communal area.
- Email accounts are usually protected with a secure username and password system, meaning only the recipient is likely to read the document you send. However, hackers are still able to gain access to email accounts, so bear this in mind.
