Security for fax transmissions is of the highest priority for fax users as faxes often contain confidential and sensitive information. With this in mind, the fax system was developed with the highest level of security possible. However, Sharenet cannot cover all security concerns as ultimately, emails (Fax2Email and Email2Fax) can only be as secure as the email itself as well as the user’s mail server and their infrastructure. However, the system provides excellent security wherever possible.

All faxes are sent to our system over a phone/fax line in the same way that a standard fax is received via a phone line. All faxes are encrypted with a standard fax encryption. Once a fax arrives at the fax server it is protected from outside hackers by a high-end firewall blocking intruders and hackers from accessing the system. This firewall also prevents potential viruses from entering the system. Our fax servers also employ Network Address Translation adding an extra level of security.

The Information is then kept on the fax server while the server interacts with the database server over a secure network. Once the information required is obtained the fax server will convert the fax into a .tiff or .PDF file and archive it for resending purposes. From here the email is sent as a standard encrypted email to the recipient. It again passes through a firewall as well as an anti-virus and spam filter to ensure that the email only contains the fax as an attachment.

The security level is of such a nature that the administrators of the Fax2Email system cannot even view the content of these faxes. 

The fax system is backed up daily with a structured “fallback” and “rollback” plan for recovery. Special considerations have been made on system fault resolution to ensure that completed successful fax receptions are delivered to its appropriate destination. Servers are stored in a controlled environment with respect to temperature, humidity, power fluctuations and outages, etc.

The Fax2Email servers are all connected with a shared database infrastructure. This means if one server goes down, the others keep on going where the previous server left off thus having a guarantee of no faxes getting lost.

All Internet fax transmissions from fax server to fax server on the fax network are encrypted with 128 bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) across the globe.  Additionally, we make use of a proprietary protocol for the passing of faxes across the network.  SSL in combination with proprietary protocol ensures an unmatched secure transmission of faxes over the Internet.  Users of our system can rightfully feel that their faxes are secure over the fax network.

INBOUND AND OUTBOUND FAX PROCESS
FAX2EMAIL PROCESS

1. The process begins with a fax being sent from a fax machine to a Fax2Email number. This is sent using standard fax encryption over a phone line.
2. The call is accepted by the fax server.
3. The fax server queries MYSQL to see whether the number that has been dialled is active.
4. The database confirms with the fax server and processes the fax and converts it to a .tiff or .PDF file.
5. The database is accessed again and the email address that is assigned to the dialled Fax2Email number is found.
6. This information is sent to the Linux mail server over a secure internal network, where the email (Fax2Email) is then constructed, encoded and sent.
7. The email is delivered to the client’s mail server.
8. The client’s mail server places the email in its queue for delivery
9. The email finally reaches the intended recipient.

EMAIL2FAX PROCESS

1. The process begins with a fax being sent via email. The fax is sent using standard email encryption over a secure network.
2. The email (Fax2Email) is placed on the client’s mail server for sending.
3. The email is delivered to the receiving mail server over the Internet.
4. The email is placed on the fax server.
5. The fax server queries the database to see whether the email address that the fax was sent from corresponds with the password.
6. The fax server calls the fax number that the client specified in the “To: field” of the original email.
7. The fax is sent to the intended user via a phone line using standard fax encryption.