Is Your Fax Software Safe?

Faxing can be an overlooked security vulnerability in the office. While businesses do much to protect individual computers and networks, it’s important to recognize that faxing is equally as important to protect against these security threats.

Think about all of the different types of content sent and received through fax. A fax may carry anything from sensitive business correspondence to personal information about employees.

The use of fax software, rather than a traditional fax machine, helps reduce the number of security risks that come with a physical machine. Fax software allows your employees to send and receive faxes from software on their desktop computers, removing the need for content to be printed out in an open area. This software also provides extra features like proof of delivery and automatic archiving.

However, fax software is not without its vulnerabilities.

When fax software is compromised and confidential information is exposed, you could risk the safety of not just the company, but its employees, business partners, and vendors.

To ensure that the fax software your company uses is as secure as possible, be diligent about the network security measures your company puts in place for all devices on the network. Are there firewalls? Are all devices password protected? Hackers that can get access into the network itself can make their way into your fax software.

Consider additional foundational security features, such as whether there are protocols in place for the use of personal computers, or if employee personal computer passwords are required to be updated every 90 days.

Be sure that you always keep the most current version of fax software on employee computers as well. Old software versions are at a greater risk for hacking; the new version will often address bugs present in the previous version.

Many fax software is also available in a mobile app version. That means sensitive company information could be accessible via an employee’s phone that they carry around with them before, during, and after work. Will you require employees to keep their phone password protected? What contingency plan will be in place should an employee lose their phone? These are important questions to consider.

Additionally, use network segmentation to keep communications that flow through your online fax software separate from your company’s general network. This is so that if you do receive a hacked fax and it corrupts your software, it will be far more difficult to reach the main network where hackers could then access other corporate devices and extract personal identity information. Use internal firewalls or routers that will deny access from any requests that come from the fax software.

Have additional questions about fax software and how to keep your company and your personal identity safe? Reach out to the business IT experts at Matthijssen Business Services!