Janitor Bob Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 I have several long-distance clients that would like to scan and e-mail documents to me. Does anyone have any words of wisdom about this? Are there any good/free encryption programs that I could suggest the clients install? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Open up a portal or FileShare for them to upload their documents to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janitor Bob Posted February 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Do I have a portal? I don't remember seeing one anywhere...although if I left it lying around, Lila the Giant Dog probably ate it....where would I get another portal to open? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kea Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 >> Lila the Giant Dog probably ate it..<< Perhaps that explains her digestive problems a few days (weeks?) ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadlonetree Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 It's always funny. It is way easier to steal postal mail than email... That being said, I have clients use PDF suite or Adobe to encrypt with a password and then call me with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmars Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 It's always funny. It is way easier to steal postal mail than email... That being said, I have clients use PDF suite or Adobe to encrypt with a password and then call me with it. or they can send you the password in a separate email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David1980 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 or they can send you the password in a separate email The risk would be if either their email or your email is compromised both the email containing the confidential information as well as the email containing the password for the confidential information are there. Where as when the password is given over phone that isn't a risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 The "danger of e-mail being compromised" is way overblown and unrealistic. Safer than USPS. Please show me the documentation of someone "intercepting" email from another person. Now this is NOT where a person's email password gets compromised. That is usually what is called "email hacking," when in reality is it password theft. Does anyone else on here know the process necessary to intercept e-mail? My son is a software engineer and worked as level III tech support in a huge NOC. He showed and detailed the process. No one drives up outside your house and intercepts your e-mail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janitor Bob Posted February 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Jack from Ohio....my thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 The "danger of e-mail being compromised" is way overblown and unrealistic. Safer than USPS. Please show me the documentation of someone "intercepting" email from another person. Now this is NOT where a person's email password gets compromised. That is usually what is called "email hacking," when in reality is it password theft. Does anyone else on here know the process necessary to intercept e-mail? My son is a software engineer and worked as level III tech support in a huge NOC. He showed and detailed the process. No one drives up outside your house and intercepts your e-mail. Nobody drives up to your house and intercepts email, but there are plenty of people who work in data centers and ISPs who have access to it. Possibly your son included? Heck, I run email service for dozens of clients on my server. I could read and download their email all day long. Really, it's no different than someone working for the Post Office having easy access to all of that mail. It's VERY unlikely that anyone would tamper with your snail mail, and also VERY unlikely that anyone will tamper with your email, but I wouldn't use the word "secure" to describe either service. EDIT: Also, it's true that password theft is almost always the cause of people getting their email address hijacked, but that doesn't change the end result: personal information is left exposed. Generally, people have very poor habits when it comes to setting passwords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David1980 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Now this is NOT where a person's email password gets compromised. That's exactly what I'd be most worried about because as you pointed out it's much more common. Does it matter why their email is compromised? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 If you have a CCH web site (Site Builder or the older Execusite) you have free FileShare, a simple portal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Nobody drives up to your house and intercepts email, but there are plenty of people who work in data centers and ISPs who have access to it. Possibly your son included? Heck, I run email service for dozens of clients on my server. I could read and download their email all day long. Really, it's no different than someone working for the Post Office having easy access to all of that mail. It's VERY unlikely that anyone would tamper with your snail mail, and also VERY unlikely that anyone will tamper with your email, but I wouldn't use the word "secure" to describe either service. EDIT: Also, it's true that password theft is almost always the cause of people getting their email address hijacked, but that doesn't change the end result: personal information is left exposed. Generally, people have very poor habits when it comes to setting passwords. In order to intercept the e-mail in the manner you speak of, you must know exact IP addresses, etc. You must also monitor and filter millions of packets to find the ones with information you want. Can it be done, yes. Is it likely that someone will go to all the trouble of finding all my IP information to sort the millions of my packets to find the few hundered that would contain a tax return file? Not likely. Most often, those hackers go for major financial institutions,etc where the odds of finding information are much greater. I send 50-100 e-mails a day, and in the course of tax season, only 5-10 will have a tax return file in them. Pretty slim odds. That's exactly what I'd be most worried about because as you pointed out it's much more common. Does it matter why their email is compromised? Just because people are sloppy with their passwords does not make e-mail unsafe. In the same manner, if you lock the front door of your house with a deadbolt, vs putting a sign on the door saying "This door is locked" instead, does not make doors unsafe to keep unwanted people out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I use Acrobat, send encrypted with a password. I don't send the password in the email but a hint as to what it is, something they would know. I'm not a techie, but I think Jack and Eric are both right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HV Ken Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 If you have a CCH web site (Site Builder or the older Execusite) you have free FileShare, a simple portal. To get the "free" FileShare portal, you need to purchase Site Builder for around $1,000. I think when the original post enquired about a free solution, it probably was interested in a completely free solution! I use both Site Builder and its free FileShare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hahn1040 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I use AFSB: http://afsb.net/ less than $300 per year I had looked at CCH for $1,000 and found the AFSB set-up does what I need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalea Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 How about Share file? Super easy to use and setup . In think you need the professional version to get adequate encryption. I paid $134 for 3 months and have a portal. and encrypted email with a tool that does it all from Outlook. It took me a whole 5 minuts to set it up. Love it so far and clients like it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I just thought there was a chance that an ATX user already had FileShare. (I think I remember Catherine mentioning using it.) So, if a preparer already has a possible solution in his arsenal of tools, he should check it out before spending any more money to duplicate. If he does not already have a web site with FileShare, it would be a costly way to begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulH Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I've had clients put their files in their Dropbox, and send me a link. Requires you both to have Dropbox accounts, but they are free. I've also had clients zip all their files using the password feature of their zip application, then email me the zip file and somehow convey the password to me (phone or something I would know). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janitor Bob Posted February 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I am also considering drop box.....but really.....if someone can hack into an e-mail server somewhere and get info from an e-mail, could they not also hack into drop-box servers and get the info from there? I seriously think that there are plenty of people in this world with the know-how to steal anything they want from anybody they want....All anyone can do is try to make it a little more difficult and hope they expend their energy/resources on more lucrative targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 ... hope they expend their energy/resources on more lucrative targets. This is why I do not worry.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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