As a real estate or mortgage professional, you help families with one of their most significant life purchases – their home. In doing so, you’re privy to some of the most private and personal information of those buying and selling homes.

What are the risks and pitfalls your office can face when going completely paperless? Converting your office’s records to a digital platform can get risky. While you’ll never have to worry about spilled coffee ruining forms, digital data’s survivability can also be an Achille’s heel.

Just because the files are stored on a digital format, doesn’t mean that they’re secure. It’s crucial that when your office converts from paper to digital, you also integrate the right security software solutions for your office.

Security Scenario: The Buyer/Seller Dilemma

When purchases are being made the Selling agent typically submits his or her offer via fax to the Listing agent. With current practices, it’s possible to start a bidding war by reading the proposals before the designated time. The Listing agent can then make others aware of the bid amounts, which tends to create the last minute inflation of the price.

Sensitive files can be sent using email anti-theft software. Only authorized recipients may open the offer, preventing a third party from having access to personal information. The software’s rights management can ensure that the proposals can only be accessed at the given time to prevent elongated bidding wars by leaked contract terms.

What Type of Security Does Your Office Need?

Finding the right security software solution for your company requires research. Solutions for a centralized large enterprise office may not be the right fit for your independent real estate agency or branch mortgage firm (2).

What digital weaknesses exist in your office? Your office may not need every bell and security whistle. Here are some solutions available when you’re ready to protect and send sensitive electronic information:

File encryption: The method of encoding a message so that it can be read only by the sender and the intended recipient. If an unwanted party happens to intercept an encrypted message (unless they have somehow gotten the encryption keys), they will not be able to decipher the message.

2. Rights Management Controls (or DRM): Ensure that only authorized persons can have access. Documents can be protected from being printed, screen capture, and cut/copy/paste functions, thereby helping stem the leakage of information beyond your designated clients or co-workers.

3. Secure Online Browsing: Many cybersecurity experts believe that using a VPN while browsing online is a fantastic way to protect your online identity and your browsing data. Therefore, it is very important that you purchase the fastest VPN service available on the market. If your real estate company uses different operating systems like Windows and Apple then it is important that you invest in a VPN provider like Ivacy because they provide apps for all major platforms, i.e. Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and even Linux.

4. In addition, users do not need to buy a different subscription for each device, as a single subscription can be used on 5 devices simultaneously. You can even manually configure Ivacy on your router, and connect to as many devices as you like for unrestricted and secure access to the internet.

   Email Anti-Theft: A document security solution that integrates with common email tools like Microsoft Outlook. Email Anti-Theft software enables email authors to send documents and messages with rights management controls and encryption. For most small and medium business, email anti-theft will be a very sensible solution.

5. For example, if the information is stored on a laptop, portable hard drive, or USB drive, which lacks security software (3), it’s as vulnerable as a paper file sitting out unattended. If the portable device were stolen, your office’s information would be up for grabs.

   However, with encryption, the information is protected even if someone else obtains the file. Encryption secures not only the data but the trust your clients have in your agency’s ability to protect them.

   In conclusion, technology has greatly improved the real estate industry, but it also poses a few risks. It is important to be proactive and prevent hackers from stealing your online information and data.