Welcome to the next installment of our CIO series! Our previous blog post explored how you can connect Zoho Workplace with your existing platforms, streamlining your workflow and eliminating silos.
The third hurdle for CIOs is tough, but we've got the solution. You can find out how you can overcome this obstacle with Zoho Workplace. (If you haven’t read the introductory blog post, read it here.)
How can I ensure the highest level of security and compliance for my organization?
In an era of digital transformation, the CIO's role has expanded far beyond managing IT infrastructure. CIOs are now the gatekeepers of enterprise security and compliance, balancing innovation with risk management.
The digital landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with new threats and regulations emerging at a rapid pace. Here are some key factors driving the growing complexity of security threats and compliance mandates:
Advanced persistent threats (APTs): These sophisticated and targeted attacks can evade traditional security measures.
Data breaches: The increasing volume of data being collected and stored makes organizations more vulnerable to data breaches.
Regulatory changes: New regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA are imposing stricter data privacy and security requirements.
Remote work: The rise of remote work has introduced new security challenges, such as unsecured home networks and an increased risk of phishing attacks.
Emerging technologies: New technologies like cloud computing, IoT, and AI bring new security risks.
To address these challenges, organizations need to adopt robust digital platforms that can provide comprehensive security and compliance solutions.
Security measures to look for when choosing a digital platform
With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and regulations more stringent, security and compliance are no longer afterthoughts—they're fundamental to business survival.
When evaluating a platform, CIOs must focus on security measures that protect sensitive data, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide granular control over user access. Here are some of the key security and compliance factors that CIOs must look for in a digital platform:
End-to-end encryption: Ensure that data, both in transit and at rest, is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
Local data centers: Platforms must offer data center options in compliance with local regulations.
Access control and user authentication: Implement role-based access, two-factor authentication (2FA), and single sign-on (SSO) capabilities.
Audit logs and reporting: CIOs need to know who is accessing data, when they're accessing it, and from where.
Compliance certifications: Look for platforms that adhere to international standards like ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2.
How Zoho Workplace prioritizes security and compliance
Zoho Workplace is built with security at its core. With end-to-end encryption, comprehensive access controls, local and international compliance, zero-trust architecture, and more, Zoho Workplace is an ideal solution for CIOs looking to protect their organization's critical data and ensure a seamless user experience.
- All workstations issued to Zoho employees comply with our security standards, which require them to be properly configured, patched, tracked, and monitored by Zoho's endpoint management solutions.
- We employ multilayered security, including firewalls and network segmentation, to protect sensitive data.
- We have a dedicated team to implement and manage privacy and security measures. Our compliance team reviews procedures and policies in Zoho to align them with standards and to determine what controls, processes, and systems are needed.
(Learn more about Zoho's general security measures.)
For healthcare organizations that require HIPAA compliance or financial institutions adhering to SOX, Zoho Workplace provides the necessary tools and certifications to ensure data integrity and security.
Email security
According to a recent study, over 75% of targeted cyberattacks start with an email. Zoho Mail's sophisticated threat protection mechanism prevents threats from ever reaching your inbox. Its data protection tools safeguard the integrity of your data against compromise or loss.
SecurePass: “Password please”
You can use SecurePass to confidentially send critical and sensitive information to people via email regardless of what email application they use. SecurePass protects your data by:
- Ensuring the recipient enters a password to view the email's contents
- Disabling the user from forwarding, printing, or copying and pasting the email
- Setting an expiry date for the email
(Learn how you can send emails protected by SecurePass.)
MDM for device security
Gartner has found that 55% of employees use their personal devices for work. However, mobile devices carry their own set of security concerns when users access sensitive company data, especially when the devices are employee-owned.
Employees' mobile devices must be secured against all security risks. Enter Zoho's mobile device management (MDM)—where you can efficiently control and oversee corporate- and employee-owned Android and iOS mobile devices on your network.
Through MDM, IT admins can apply security configurations, policies, and restrictions on devices to secure them against potential threats.
End-to-end encryption with PGP
You can send PGP-encrypted emails using your Zoho Mail account. Once your admin has enabled this integration, you can start generating, storing, and sharing keys, all from your mailbox. These keys will allow you to send highly encrypted emails as well as decrypt messages that are sent using PGP.
Zoho Mail lets you stay in control of your shared keys. You can export keys, revoke key access, and delete keys. Zoho Mail's PGP integration also lets you sign emails digitally, ensuring your legitimacy as a sender.
BIMI authentication
Zoho Mail lets you stay trustworthy with the addition of BIMI authentication.
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is an email authentication feature in Zoho Mail that displays your verified brand logo in your emails. This visually separates your emails from spoof emails.
After verifying your logo with a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), you'll also get a verified check mark next to your emails, further boosting your email credibility.
eDiscovery portal
When it comes to compliance, you can't afford the slightest mistake. eDiscovery for Zoho Mail helps you track, retain, search, and discover the data you want when you want it.
With a robust eDiscovery portal, you can comply with industry standards and email retention laws. Protect business data from potential lawsuits, evidence tampering, and intellectual property theft by keeping retained emails under tight security with unmatched privacy.
(Learn about the full extent of Zoho Mail's security measures.)
Other email security and privacy practices
In addition to these advanced security measures, Zoho Mail offers the following layers of protection for your email data:
Single sign-on: Zoho Directory's single sign-on (SSO) helps employees access multiple cloud applications with one secure set of credentials.
Encryption at rest: Emails are stored on Zoho Mail servers in an encrypted format. Your data is split into fragments, and each fragment is then further encrypted before being stored.
Encryption in transit: Zoho Mail uses SSL connection for all communications from POP/IMAP/SMTP clients to our servers so that your data cannot be read or tampered with during transit.
Encryption level indicator: You are always kept in the loop about the security level of the emails you send and receive. All emails between Zoho Mail servers are encrypted in transit using TLS and marked accordingly. If the other provider involved does not support TLS, the email is marked as "plain" to keep you informed.
Suspicious login activity: Based on a user's previous login behavior, Zoho Mail sends an alert if there is any suspicious login activity.
International compliance: Zoho Mail is GDPR compliant. Personal data that is collected during signups or communicated via emails is protected under the European Data Protection Regulation enforced by the EU Commission. With Zoho's strong commitment to user privacy, your personal details are never mined to run ads.
SIEM integration: Zoho Mail integrates with leading SIEM platforms (Splunk, Loggly, QRadar, and more). This integration will help administrators monitor and analyze email events in real time, flagging potential threats as they arise.
File security
Zoho WorkDrive meets industry-specific compliance standards such as SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. We use a defense-in-depth (DiD) approach to provide security at the physical, logical, and data levels.
Malware scanning: All files on the server are frequently scanned for viruses. Collaborators will be prompted before downloading a flagged file. Zoho WorkDrive implements intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to secure against DDoS attacks.
Advanced encryption: With Zoho WorkDrive, your data is always safe. Files in Zoho WorkDrive are encrypted at rest with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). During transit, perfect forward secrecy (PFS) generates a unique key to encrypt files for each session.
Admin-level controls: Choose where your files can be shared. As an admin, you can decide whether to allow your users to share files internally or externally. Avoid the clutter by only allowing team admins to create public groups.
Transfer file ownership: Prevent ex-employees from leaving with the important files they created and worked on. With WorkDrive, you can transfer ownership of files from one user to another to keep them in the right hands.
Set link expiration: Set expiration dates for your quarter-end reports, research findings, and other vital documents while sharing them externally. After the expiration date, your external partners won't be able to view your data.
Role-based permissions: Use roles like viewer or commenter when you want to involve your stakeholders but don't want them to make changes to your files. Set roles like collaborator or moderator when you'd like people to contribute to your work.
(View all data security and privacy practices of Zoho WorkDrive.)
Chat, audio, and video security
Communication channels often involve the transmission of sensitive information, such as confidential business discussions, customer data, and personal details. This information needs to be guarded without leaving any room for attacks.
Lock meetings to keep them private: Locking meetings will help keep your confidential meetings private. Locking meetings gives the host complete control over who enters a meeting.
Remove participants: If someone enters your meeting, you can easily remove them and lock your meeting to prevent further intrusions.
Use recording privileges: Only the meeting host can record a meeting and get access to the recording afterward.
Consent for sharing audio and video: You can enable and disable your audio and video before entering a meeting or at any time during. Zoho Meeting also asks for your permission before enabling remote access to your computer during screen sharing.
(View all data security and privacy practices of Zoho Meeting.)
Secret chat: If you don't want to share sensitive data with a teammate, you can turn off chat history; your messages won't be stored anywhere, and they'll disappear when you close the chat window.
For developer communities: The Zoho Cliq team reviews all code submitted by developers before publishing the extensions in the Zoho Marketplace. This is to ensure that the developed extensions do not misuse customers' personal data in any way.
(View all data security and privacy practices of Cliq.)
Stay ahead of cyber threats and regulatory compliance
For CIOs, choosing a digital platform that prioritizes both security and compliance is non-negotiable. Zoho Workplace provides an all-in-one solution, combining state-of-the-art security measures with compliance certifications to meet the needs of businesses across industries.
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