Secure email for health unscrambles new markets
- 26 July 2004
Kodak’s Secure Email System (SES), which up until now has been used solely in healthcare, has been made available to other markets following a deal with software developer Cephire Technologies. The software is currently in use in the US and Europe in hospitals for the exchange of images and patient information between healthcare professionals and staff. The deal will mean that SES will now be adapted and marketed to other sectors which require confidential and private communications, such as government and legal and financial industries. Mike Benedict, president of Cephire, said of the deal: “This is a great opportunity for Kodak and Cephire to offer customers outstanding secure email solutions in the fast-growing technology services market. Combining Cephire’s managed services expertise with Kodak’s leadership in secure email, security services, and imaging and information management, is a winning proposition." The e-mail system, which was developed in conjuction with software company Aliroo America, encodes content using 256-bit encryption through the Rijndael algorithm, unlocked by private keys. Headers are left alone in order to enable forwarding or archiving. Messages and attachments themselves are encrypted end-to-end, and the SES server automatically applies rule-based encryption to email and files that pass through it. The system also incorporates an audit trail and access permissions for information. Keys are managed through a “key book" system that is password-protected and can be accessed over a network. Additional software at the recipient’s site is not required. The software is fully compliant with both European Union and US rules on privacy and security. Patrick Faure, privacy and security services manager for Kodak’s Health Imaging Group, said that one benefit of the system was that it replaced “the expensive and time-consuming process of using overnight package services to transport records, images and information."
