How Zetafax helps your organisation comply with GDPR
The advantages of a digital fax system over a paper process
Now we’re past the May 25th deadline, the dust is starting to settle on GDPR.
If, like most of us, you received a flurry of “please opt in” emails in the run up to that “fateful Friday”, you’ll perhaps be thinking that the worst is now over.
However, recent news of a massive data breach at Dixons Carphone provides a timely reminder that GDPR is with us for the long term and there is an ongoing requirement for vigilance and compliance.
Data protection is an issue for every organisation of every size and in every sector. Many are starting to look in more depth at the communications media in use among employees.
Email, for example, offers hackers a way into data networks if unwitting recipients are tricked into clicking on links to malicious websites, or opening attachments containing malicious code.
On the other hand, network fax software such as Zetafax offers greater levels of security and privacy in the sending and receiving of communications when compared to fax machines and – for the reasons outlined above, to email.
So, with this in mind, how can Zetafax help organisations comply with GDPR?
Reduced risk of sending to the wrong number
Zetafax reduces the risk of sending a fax communication to the wrong phone number.
Instead of requiring the sender to dial a fax number manually on a fax machine, Zetafax uses an address book, which encourages users to take more care to enter the correct number.
Improved privacy for sent faxes
Fax machines are often sited in a central or shared area of the office.
Because Zetafax sends faxes from desktop to desktop via the network, the use of paper (and therefore of fax machines) is removed, making sending a fax with Zetafax more private.
For example, Zetafax removes the risk of colleagues seeing a fax being sent if the sender doesn’t stay next to the fax machine to guard it. It also reduces the risk of confidential information being discarded insecurely after sending.
Improved privacy for received faxes
With a conventional fax machine, an incoming fax can be picked up by anyone who happens to be walking past and sees it on the machine.
Zetafax’s inward routing capability – when enabled – ensures that incoming faxes are routed securely and directly to the specific PC of the recipient, rather than left on a fax machine in plain sight for other staff to see.
Secure communication logging for audit/compliance
GDPR requires organisations to store sensitive paper communications, records and transactions in a locked storage cabinet or facility because paper is an inherently insecure medium.
Zetafax maintains a central record of all faxes sent or received, including details of the sender.
In summary
GDPR has brought new data privacy and security challenges to every business of every size – as well as to government and charity organisations – across the whole of Europe.
These challenges have been met to a less or greater degree with new working practices and technologies.
Enabling your employees to communicate via fax more securely and privately using a network fax solution such as Zetafax – and maintaining a central record of all sent and received fax communications – can assist your organisation with its GDPR compliance.
Next steps
If you’d like to find out how migrating your paper-based faxing communications to the Zetafax network fax solution, so that faxes can be sent from desktop to desktop, contact Equisys now on 0207 203 4001. Or, speak to your Zetafax reseller.