Many small businesses use web-based email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL. However, there are several reasons why relying on free webmail may not be the best choice, given the various drawbacks associated with these platforms.

 “Free” Isn’t Always the Best Choice for Your Business

It’s easy to see the appeal. Many web-based email services are free and convenient. You can simply open your web browser and access your email from your phone, tablet, desktop, or laptop with ease.

However, we must address security, as this is where the main issue arises. If you examine the licensing agreements and terms and conditions closely, you will find that they explicitly reserve the right to scan your emails and database information for advertising purposes.

In fact, we’ve shared several articles on social media highlighting how Google is facing criticism from customers for permitting third-party app developers to access users’ emails. This access has always been allowed, but many people are only now becoming aware that it has been happening.

HIPAA & FINRA Violations

If your business is subject to HIPAA and FINRA regulations, you are currently in serious violation of these laws. The penalties are severe, with HIPAA violations carrying fines up to $250,000 per incident and potential imprisonment for up to five years.

Imagine if the information of a hundred of your customers was compromised—that’s a hundred times $250,000 in costs and a hundred times five years of consequences. This is a critical issue. Does your business have the resources to handle this, and would you really want to be seen in orange?

The need for businesses to manage expenses carefully is crucial, but not at the cost of risking a security breach or violating federal regulations. We recommend investing a reasonable amount to use your domain name for email combined with a reliable desktop email service.

Office 365

We recommend the services of Office 365 because it allows your business to harness the enterprise-level capabilities of Exchange Server. Previously, this powerful technology was accessible only to companies willing to invest $5,000 to $10,000. Now, you can enjoy these benefits with an affordable monthly fee per user, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

With Office 365, your emails are seamlessly synchronized across all devices linked to your account—whether it’s your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. This ensures you can access your email anytime, anywhere in the world.

Secure Email Access

Many people continue to use webmail because it is convenient and familiar. We understand not wanting to learn something new. However, using webmail carries significant security risks. Our experience shows that most users save their credentials in their web browsers, increasing vulnerability.

Typo=Hacked

What are the security risks of saving your credentials in your browser? For example, if you accidentally mistype a web address—intending to visit google.com but ending up at gooogle.com—that simple typo can have serious consequences. Mistakes like these are common and understandable, but they can expose your saved login information to malicious sites.

Let’s say that domain name that you typed is owned by a hacker who’s put malicious code in on their website, waiting for your typo. That malicious code can very easily grab the text file that has all of your credentials, and also has the URLs for those credentials.

Imagine the domain name you entered is owned by a hacker who has embedded malicious code on their website, lying in wait for your typo. This harmful code can easily access the text file containing all your credentials, along with the URLs associated with them.

This remains true even if you have taken all necessary steps to secure your email, such as using email encryption and relying on a third-party service to protect your messages. This risk occurs when you use webmail and store your login credentials in your web browser.

Hijacked

There is another security risk with webmail even if you haven’t saved your credentials in your browser. Clicking a link or visiting a page with malicious code can give a hacker full access to your browser, resulting in what is known as a browser hijack.

They can access live sessions, including encrypted connections between you and a server, such as your email server. While your web browser maintains a secure, encrypted link to your email server, hackers can still steal these cookies. This is a serious and real threat that does occur.

Email Security Solution

You need to use Outlook.

When using Outlook with an Exchange server, you achieve full HIPAA and FINRA compliance provided that data retention policies are strictly enforced, ensuring that emails cannot be deleted arbitrarily. This is crucial to avoid serious compliance violations.

We employ a leading third-party service for advanced spam filtering and email security. Every email sent and received is archived permanently. In the event of a Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, FINRA audit, or any legal inquiry, you can quickly access and retrieve these emails to present to the appropriate authorities.

This ensures you stay compliant with the law, avoid legal trouble, and prevent unnecessary headaches in your business.

If you’re a monthly customer of 24×7 Protect IT, Inc., we provide Exchange Server through Microsoft Office 365. We manage all administration, monitoring, backups, password recovery, and more. Additionally, our Complete Security Suite includes third-party spam protection and email security to keep your communications safe.

Now that you recognize the importance of email security and want to steer clear of the risks associated with web-based email, contact us today to find the ideal monthly service tailored for your business.