Public distrust of e-mail through the rise of spam and phishing – where e-mail is used to fraudulently acquire passwords and credit-card details – has prompted a new look at encryption which could impact the travel sector. A British company called Identum has created a user-friendly encryption technology called Private Post. The firm claims the…
Encryption on agenda at Identum
Public distrust of e-mail through the rise of spam and phishing – where e-mail is used to fraudulently acquire passwords and credit-card details – has prompted a new look at encryption which could impact the travel sector.
A British company called Identum has created a user-friendly encryption technology called Private Post. The firm claims the system is totally secure, and easier and quicker to use than traditional and “cumbersome” encryption.
It suggests both users and travel companies can now encrypt every e-mail message they send and all they need is the recipient’s e-mail address.
Identum says Private Post could be used to eliminate an area of risk that most travellers experience. When travellers book their flights directly with an airline or via an online booking system, or when booking a hotel online, they’re sent a confirmation e-mail containing all their travel data and, very often, most of their credit-card details.
What companies should be doing, Private Post said, is encrypting e-mails to customers so travel details and personal data are not “floating around the ether” for a hacker.
Thomson said it has considered encrypting e-mail to clients in the past, but problems with certainty of decryption by the customer meant it had avoided using it.
Click here for previous feature, How Tight Is Your Security
