Alternative to fax

The risks of fax use

As easy as faxing was for users, it was easy for numerical errors to creep in when typing the recipient's number; as a result, the confidential document went to the wrong addressee. Once the fax was gone, it could no longer be reversed. And even if the fax number entered was correct, who actually got to see the fax on the recipient's side ultimately depended on who was standing at the fax machine in question at the time. There was therefore no question of comprehensible confidentiality.

Even the more modern fax transmission methods do not offer effective data protection: when faxes are converted into emails, the sender can neither enforce nor find out that this is done in encrypted form. The transmission is therefore not GDPR-compliant. Thus, it is no wonder that in Germany, the Bremen State Data Protection Commissioner has denied the fax GDPR compliance (German article).

For enterprises, fax is therefore not a data protection-compliant means of transfer, at least since the GDPR has come into force; especially since a company's own business secrets and intellectual property are not transmitted by fax in a way that protects them from unauthorised third parties.

Where is the fax still in use?

In business the fax is playing an increasingly minor role, and for most companies its use has continued to decline in recent years.

Nevertheless, in Germany the fax is still an important pillar for communication in some industries. It is still used in the legal sector, by public authorities, and also in the health sector.

Replacing the insecure fax - driving digitization forward

Often, established but insecure work steps can be improved by minor technical measures. Our partner Konika Minolta integrates Cryptshare into MFP devices.

This allows users to securely send scanned documents directly to any email address at the touch of a button. Data protection is guaranteed - and accidental sending to the wrong recipient is prevented.

Send large and confidential documents directly from the MFP

Transfer large scans directly from the MFP to the recipient, saving valuable time. Confidential documents can also be transferred to the recipient tamper-proof and directly from the device.

Get in touch with us to learn more