IT consultants need to secure every element of a client’s infrastructure. However, must take this a step further and secure their financial communications with the clients to prevent unauthorized access. In fact, financial communications remain among the most sensitive messages sent by these professionals, yet consultants often overlook them when securing their operations. Never make this mistake.
Several security options exist when it comes to sending invoices and other financial communications. IT consultants should review each option to determine which best meets their needs. When doing so, the consultant must consider the advantages and drawbacks of each option.
Attachments
Many consultants choose to send their invoices as attachments to an email or as inline text. Nevertheless, they must ensure doing so remains secure. They may need to encrypt the message and attachment, but this varies by client. If there is any question of whether encryption is required, err on the side of caution. All communications regarding financial matters should be protected in this manner to ensure the information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, where it can be used for nefarious purposes.
One major benefit of choosing this option lies in the unforgeability of the communications. As long as the consultant uses a strong algorithm that cybercriminals haven’t attacked, the information remains safe. This instills confidence in the parties sending and receiving these communications because they know they are authentic.
Encrypted Downloads
When clients refuse to use encryption software with their email accounts, turn to secure downloads for communications regarding financial matters. Securing the emails involves ensuring the download is protected by an excellent authenticated encryption process. In addition, encrypted access for the download is needed. At a minimum, the other party should be required to enter a username and password unique to them. However, encrypted downloads cannot protect invoices from unauthorized access if someone happens to access the communications and download them. The session encryption won’t guard against this.
Encrypted Payment Pages
People often prefer to make use of an online payment form for invoices, as this allows them to remit the payment using their credit card. The company must commit to accepting credit cards online and ensure the process used remains in compliance with PCI security measures. Nevertheless, companies should go above and beyond these measures. They need to ensure the payment page is not only compliant but also secure. If they don’t, they face legal liability and other issues.
Certified Mail
At times, a company has no choice but to send financial communications through the postal service. When doing so, they need to use certified mail so they can track the progress of the envelope or package. This allows them to know where the item is if it fails to arrive at its destination and adds a layer of protection to ensure the item arrives unmolested. While this method lacks the security seen with encrypted emails, it remains a better option than sending communications without any safeguards in place.
Secure Invoicing Through a Third Party
At times, companies choose to make use of a third-party provider for invoicing. They turn the responsibility of securing the invoices over to this provider. Independent contractors often select this option when using an online payment form for credit card processing. The service handles the payment details in exchange for a cut of the payment while taking on the task of securing financial communications.
At times, companies struggle to adhere to invoicing policies put into place. This problem remains more common in large corporations with convoluted bureaucratic structures. Nevertheless, this is one task that has to remain a priority. Decisions must be made regarding the strength of financial communications security, when this security can be compromised, and when it isn’t necessary. The goal remains to secure financial communications to the highest level possible to protect the information of all parties involved in these communications.
