What is File Fortress™?
File Fortress™ is an easy-to-use, secure, web-based solution for sending and receiving e-mail.
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Why is traditional (unsecure) e-mail unsafe for sending confidential information?
Most e-mail systems transmit your messages and their attachments as plain-text over an unsecured connection.
Messages sent as plain-text are especially vulnerable to unauthorized access from hackers or other malicious individuals.
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How does File Fortress™ secure e-mail transactions?
File Fortress™ requires all transactions to occur over a secure channel. We support the highest encryption level available
(256-bit encryption via Secure Socket Layers (SSL)). In addition, File Fortress™ uses industry-standard encryption protocols
to encrypt both message text and file attachments. Finally, when you send messages using File Fortress™, the messages are delivered to, and stored on, our servers only. Traditional e-mail
systems deliver a copy of the message to each recipient's e-mail server, leaving your messages vulnerable to unauthorized access at multiple locations.
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Do I have to install any software to use File Fortress™?
No. File Fortress™ is a web-based solution that can be accessed from any Microsoft Windows PC running Internet Explorer 5.x or above.
Note: File Fortress™ will load a small Java Applet to your PC, which is used for adding attachments to your secure e-mail messages.
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How much does File Fortress™ cost?
We offer a variety of subscription options ranging from a FREE Individual Account to an Enterprise Business License. Please see our Pricing Chart for more details.
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How can File Fortress™ help my organization with HIPAA Compliance?
HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, applies to all health care providers, physician offices,
health plans, employers, public health authorities, life insurers, clearinghouses, billing agencies, information systems vendors, service
organizations, and universities.
HIPAA compliance applies to the organization or entity as a whole, and includes measures for:
- Standardization of electronic patient health, administrative and financial data.
- Unique health identifiers for individuals, employers, health plans and health care providers.
- Security standards protecting the confidentiality and integrity of “individually identifiable health information,” past, present or
future.
File Fortress™ satisfies HIPAA compliance requirements surrounding e-mail transmission of Protected Health Information (PHI). For more information about File Fortress™
and how it can help you with your HIPAA compliance planning, see our HIPAA Section.
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How are my credit card number and e-mail attachments stored on the FileFortress.com?
FileFortress.com is serious about security and makes every reasonable effort to secure
your confidential information. We encrypt all credit card numbers, passwords and other authentication-type
information. In addition, all transactions within our private site occur over a
secure connection. We support the highest level of encryption available (256-bit encryption
via Secure Socket Layers (SSL)). All message text and file attachments
are encrypted on our server using industry-standard encryption protocol.
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How secure are my e-mail attachments once they are uploaded to FileFortress.com?
This question is asked more often than all the others. We at File Fortress™ understand the concerns people have about uploading confidential information
to servers managed by a third party (FileFortress.com). Consequently, we have strived to make security our number one priority. We continually evaluate new technology make
every reasonable effort to ensure the safety and security of your information. For example:
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File Fortress™ incorporates three-part Log In Authentication (E-mail, User Name and Password).
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File Fortress™ is protected by an industry standard, enterprise firewall.
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Messages and file attachments are stored on a separate, secured database server.
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All transactions within FileFortress.com occur over a secure connection. We suppport
the highest level of encryption available (256-bit encryption via Secure Socket
Layers (SSL)).
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All messages and file attachments are encrypted on our servers using
industry-standard encryption protocols.
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Messages are not sent to recipients directly. Instead, they are stored on our servers
and recipients must be Authenticated in order to view message contents.
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File Fortress™ users have the ability to set an expiration date for attachments on each message.
Once this date is reached, the attachments for that message will be removed from our servers.
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Can you explain how the File Fortress™ user licenses work?
File Fortress™ offers user licenses for 1, 10, 25, 50 and 100 users. We also provide Enterprise licenses
for organizations with greater than 100 users. Each license represents a single user. For example, if you
purchase a 10 User License, then you, as the administrator, and nine (9) others can access the system simultaneously. Users are grouped under
an account and the administrator can add or remove users at their discretion, up to the number of licenses purchased.
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How do I get assistance if I encounter a problem or have questions?
If you have questions or encounter a problem you can contact our Customer Service department by telephone or e-mail
Mon - Fri between the hours of 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM. Plus, an informative how-to guide for working with File Fortress™ is always one click away.
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What is Secure Socket Layers (SSL)?
SSL (Secure Socket Layers) is a protocol from Netscape Communications Corporation which
is designed to provide secure communications on the Internet. SSL is a protocol that encrypts
data during its transfer from one point to another.
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What is a Java Applet?
In the simplest terms, a Java applet is a mini-program that exists inside a Web browser,
like Netscape or Internet Explorer. The Java applet that FileFortress.com uses allows users to select files and attach them to e-mail messages.
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What is encryption?
Encryption scrambles your data by using irreversible mathematical functions. It is simply the encoding of data so that it cannot be read by anyone who does not know the password that decodes it.
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Why do I need encryption?
Data on almost every computer is vulnerable. There is no privacy at all on most PC's. Privacy is something that we take for granted in the real world but do not pay much attention in the digital world. Your PC is open, vulnerable and totally accessible to any one from your neighbor who shares the cable modem.
This is easiest way to protect information is through encryption, so that even if it is accessed without your permission or knowledge, it is unreadable and therefore, useless.
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How secure is Encryption?
Passwords in most programs such as Excel or Access can be broken rather easily, even by people with very little computer knowledge. Tools for breaking passwords are readily available on the Internet.
Conversely, a file that is encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm, such as AES (a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) approved encryption algorithm), which is used by File Fortress™, is statistically impregnable against brute force attacks.
It would require hundreds of computers more than a hundred years to break the encrypted file!
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