Why Fax is Still Preferred in the Legal Sector?

Did you know that faxing is still the preferred method of sending/receiving documents remotely in the law industry?
Despite all the advances in communication, faxing is still the main way to send and receive legal documents. Modern ways of communicating are lighting-fast and convenient, but they don’t provide the two main benefits of faxing: reliability and safety. Also, unlike documents you share through other channels, those you send and receive via fax are legally binding.
When working in the law sector, you are always sending and receiving contracts and other types of documents that need to be printed and signed. These documents are valid once they have been signed and sent back. Usually companies do this through a fax machine because these documents often contain personal and sensitive information that needs to be protected from prying eyes.
Faxing ensures your document reaches directly its destination, and gives you a confirmation once the transmission is done, something that other means of communication can’t.
Why Not Use Email?
The main problem with traditional email is that it can be intercepted. Hackers are always one step ahead, making their best efforts to find new ways of intercepting your communications. We have heard multiple times about companies whose emails have been breached, exposing the personal data of their users.
You might think your emails are secure, but advance hacking software can do pretty interesting things these days. Even big companies are vulnerable to these types of interception. The last thing you want is sensitive data to be intercepted.
Faxing Brings The Necessary Security
Fax on the other hand has proven time and time again to be a secure way of communicating. Even after so many decades after its invention, and even after the mass popularity of digital technology, it is preferred by legal companies because it provides the necessary security when transmitting faxes.
In industries like law, you can’t make a mistake with personal information. Neglecting how you handle this info can carry serious problems in the future.
It’s highly unlikely that a fax gets intercepted if you are using a fax machine or an online fax service. This is because in the end, the fax contents will travel through a landline. The only way a fax can be intercepted is if a hacker can determine the exact time the transmission takes place. This is, of course, quite impossible.
Using outdated technology like a fax machine is a great way to keep potential interception attempts at bay. But online faxing is able to provide additional layers of security. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:
Encryption
All online fax service are able to provide point-to-point encryption. I other words, all faxes are encrypted while they are being transmitted using TLS (transport Layer Security) and SSL (Secure Socket Layers) protocols.
Message Confirmations
After successfully sending a fax, you’ll receive a confirmation message with all the details of the transmission. If you receive this confirmation, nobody can’t say to you they they weren’t able to read the message or that it didn’t arrive.
The confirmation acts as effective proof the document has been received, proof that is valid in court.
Unique File Types
You can opt to receive faxes online in an encrypted format that can only be opened by a special software provided by your online fax service. Even if you decide to receive fax by email, the contents of the fax won’t be readable by anyone that doesn’t have this software.
Faxing Prevents Fraud and Forgery
When sharing documents over email, they are vulnerable to being intercepted and to modify it. In the court system is well-known that emails can be easily manipulated, and because of that, they don’t have the same strength as evidence. Faxes that contain a signature on the other hand, are treated differently.
When businesses make contracts they both have to confirm the agreement thorough signatures. These contracts are often signed in two different places, this means that one part has to sign the document and then fax it to the other part for them to sign the agreement.
Once you fax a document with your signature, it becomes legally binding. This means that if the contract is broken or violated in some way, the fax of the contracts will be enough evidence for the court. Faxes are legally as valid as the original copy of the contract.
Switching to Online Faxing
With online faxing or cloud faxing you can enjoy the best of both technologies: the speed of email and the security of faxing. Online fax services give you secure and encrypted communications from the moment you open your account. Learn more about cloud fax solutions.
Finally, businesses can forget about using a fax machine and a dedicated landline to ensure the privacy of faxes. You can send fax securely from email, resting assured it will stay protected during the whole transmission process.
Receiving faxes is totally secure, they arrive to your email with the amount of security you set-up in your online fax account. You don’t even require a landline for that purpose. Instead, you are given an online fax number that is able to deliver faxes over a virtual line that remains free and ready to receive faxes 24/7.