The internet can be a dangerous place. Yes, it’s also filled with great cat memes and YouTube videos about unlikely animal friends, but when it comes to sharing any sensitive information via email, proceed with caution.
In a survey from Stroz Friedberg, they found that almost three-quarters of office workers admitted to uploading their business files to personal email accounts — and senior managers were even worse, with 87% of them failing to use their company’s servers to store sensitive company documents.
When you’re sharing sensitive data or key financial reports in today’s world, you must make sure it’s being shared as securely as possible. It’s why microsites are the best way to share sales proposals between you and your clients.
At Zoomforth we work with some of the most highly regulated companies in the world, who host not only their own private data on our sites, but sensitive client information as well. We have passed countless reviews with these companies at the highest levels and continue to prioritize this function of our service.
Why security matters
It’s easy to think an email hack won’t happen to you. But according to Metacompliance, there are over 6.69 billion email accounts throughout the world and unfortunately 1 in 4 of these accounts will be hacked.
If you are sharing sensitive information with a client and you do encounter a security breach, you’ll lose a client’s trust and likely their business.
By not using a microsite, you could also put sensitive information in the hands of competitors, leading to a lost client but also lost revenue.
And if you want to look at a worse case scenario, if you are not securing information from a client and end up dealing with a breach, your company could incur heavy fines and not be able to recover from it.
It is crucial to secure your sales pursuits so information such as proprietary product/service details and inclusions, cost estimations, analytics or even personnel information does not fall into the wrong hands.
Here’s what could go wrong if you assume your information will be safe.
The risk of a PDF or PowerPoint sales proposal
We love a high-quality PDF and PowerPoint still has its place in the world.
But we’re also a proponent of making sure those sales mediums sit securely on a microsite.
A PDF or PowerPoint sent through email can easily be forwarded to a competitor or to someone’s personal email where it will be even more vulnerable.
Even a password-protected PDF can be breached. A smart hacker will know that a password protected document allows for unlimited attempts at being breached, so even a savvy password can be ultimately unlocked.
Perhaps the biggest risk to your company would be measuring how far a hack has gone if someone has been able to access a sensitive document. If you’re unable to measure the extent of the breach, you can’t know how to resolve it or enact a plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
A microsite is your secure solution
Every single one of us has a little bit of Linus in us (the Peanuts character who never was without his blanket). Why? As humans we are intrinsically aware that security allows us to feel happy and confident.
If you’ve ever had your bank card hacked or even a package off your porch stolen, you know how upsetting and uncomfortable that feeling is. The last thing you want is to have that happen to your business or a client’s business.
Unlike a PDF, a Zoomforth microsite can restrict who can access or view your sales proposal. It offers you the ability to permit groups as large or small as you’d like to view your materials and make sure the right stakeholders have access to the right pages.
A microsite allows for encryption and multi-factor authentication, which is just not available via email attachments or on a PowerPoint. Authentication makes a user verify who they are and confirms (or denies) that they are permitted to view your materials based on the specifications you have set.
Zoomforth allows you to choose from a variety of authentication options including password, email authentication, multi-factor authentication, and more.
For most companies, the thought of a major breach is truly scary. With a microsite option like Zoomforth, you’ll be able to take key steps in the case of a security failing. For example, Zoomforth allows you to get notifications if an unauthorized visitor attempts to access your sites. It also keeps a record of what files have been downloaded and by whom.
You can also choose to deactivate a site on a certain date and remove risk sensitive information from the internet entirely, which is not an option once you hit send on an email with a PDF attachment.
What Zoomforth can do for you
Customer trust and data security is part of the Zoomforth DNA.
We are built on a robust security architecture that provides you with the control you need to secure your users, content, and digital experiences.
We don’t make it hard for clients to access anything, but we offer a company full control of who can access things.
Zoomforth allows you the ability to make some pages public (a sales proposal one-pager) and other pages secure.
Your security options with Zoomforth include:
Password Protection
Add a password to a site and share that password privately with a client. Only those with the link and password can gain access.
Email Authentication
Users with specific email addresses or email domains can access an individual proposal.
Multi-Factor Authentication
This checks the recipient’s email address and requires them to enter a unique code, sent to their mobile device, before gaining access to materials.
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) / SSO (Single Sign-On)
If you need to lock content while you are creating it, or share it with an internal audience, Zoomforth can integrate with a company’s internal system to enable a seamless single-sign on process.
Zoomforth is served 100% over https. We run a zero-trust corporate network. There are no corporate resources or additional privileges from being on Zoomforth’s network.
