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Regardless of which governing body drops the regulatory hammer in your industry, your business has two main obligations to keep compliance in its crosshairs. The first is to archive business data so that important records can be investigated later, and the second is to protect that data from loss, whether due to theft or mismanagement.

Today, these dual demands are more difficult to meet than ever before. The amount of data businesses must archive has skyrocketed, as companies communicate with customers and employees interact internally via social media platforms, SMS messages, and a staggering variety of other tools. At the same time, the spread of malware as a service is enabling enterprising criminals with even a modicum of computer knowledge to conduct sophisticated attacks on your cybersecurity defenses.

Clearly, security solutions must be up to the task of defending your data, but even the most secure solutions are rendered ineffective if your employees aren’t up to the task of using them. When a tool that is supposed to improve security frustrates employees, they’ll quickly find a workaround that compromises information the tool is intended to protect.

In a best-case scenario, you’ll be on the hook for hefty penalties after an audit. On the other end of the spectrum, it can get much worse. You might find your company drowning in the overwhelming costs that accompany a data breach, from fines and litigation fees to a customer base that no longer trusts you to house sensitive data.

Consider this: Earlier this year, the first-quarter AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business surveyed cybersecurity preparedness among small- and medium-sized businesses. An eye-opening 58% believe data breaches are more problematic than break-ins, fires, or floods — and nearly half of respondents said a significant breach would permanently shutter their doors.

ENGINEERING EASY ENCRYPTION

At Zix, we understand that archiving and data protection are two sides of the same coin and that the best solution blends into the background of normal workflows. To this end, we’ve developed a suite of security solutions that are virtually unnoticeable to users.

ZixEncrypt allows users to send emails securely without taking extra steps. We use transparent email encryption between customers, which means the email is automatically encrypted and then automatically decrypted when it reaches the intended inbox. Recipients don’t need to use a password or login to a decryption portal, resulting in an uninterrupted email experience.

Because there will be some email recipients who don’t have an existing form of encryption capability, we set up a secure portal that is designed with simplicity in mind. In fact, we’ve worked to reduce the number of clicks necessary for a user to open and read an encrypted email. An encryption solution shouldn't tie users to a desktop, so ZixEncrypt also is optimized for use on mobile devices to maximize productivity.

We also recognize that relying on users to turn encryption on and off is an inefficient way to decide what gets encrypted. Employees might forget to encrypt sensitive documents, or they might not always know what constitutes sensitive information. To overcome this inefficiency, ZixEncrypt automatically scans the content and attachments of each email to determine whether it merits encryption. As a result, senders avoid spending time on imperfect decision-making and instead work at their normal operating speed. Your employees don’t know all the compliance regulations that govern your business, but ZixEncrypt does.

ACHIEVING ABSOLUTE ARCHIVING

With ZixArchive, your archival solution extends well beyond email. Today, your employees exchange information using tools such as Slack or Google Hangouts, and your company interacts with customers on a dizzying array of platforms from Facebook to online forums. Many regulations fail to distinguish one channel from the next, meaning that your LinkedIn or Twitter messages must be archived just as you would archive an email. Zix allows you to designate exactly which channels you’d like to archive in order to make compliance as easy as possible.

In addition, our powerful eDiscovery capability means you can search terabytes of data to find the exact communications you’re looking for. If you’re dealing with an audit or even litigation, this tool is invaluable for proving compliance. Did you send that important message during Q1 over email, Slack, or Yammer? Chances are, you can’t remember. If you already have an archival solution but it’s compatible with only a few channels, our solution allows you to combine current and new archives into a single data lake that contains all your communication information.

At Zix, we design our encryption and archiving solutions to work together, because it takes both to achieve compliance. You can purchase the solutions separately, or you can take advantage of the ZixSuite — an all-in-one solution with a centralized dashboard. With ZixSuite, you’ll enjoy a single, easy-to-use interface for provisioning, reporting, and user management, allowing you to make the most of an already robust and user-friendly solution.