Q. What is ZixMail?

A. To maintain confidentiality in all our corporate communications and to comply with HIPAA regulations, we have recently incorporated new e-mail security policies. To ensure privacy for our e-messaging and enact our new policies, we have consulted with Zix Corporation™, the leader in secure e-messaging services In this regard; we will be implementing ZixCorp VPM, an e-mail solution that encrypts and protects our e-mails, keeping them private and secure.

Q. What is encryption and why are we worried about encrypting our e-mail? A. Encryption garbles your data by using irreversible mathematical functions. It is simply the encoding of data so that it cannot be read by anyone who does not know the password that decodes it. Often, we find it necessary to use Internet e-mail to transmit information to our Members, Providers and others with whom we do business. These e-mails can contain Protected Health Information (PHI). Unfortunately, Internet email is highly susceptible to interception by unauthorized persons and that can compromise a member's confidentiality.

Q. How will e-mail recipients be able to read the encrypted email?

A. There are 3 different email encryption/decryption scenarios that we will need to examine to answer this question.

Secured Web site - Recipients who do not have the ZixCorp VPM hardware installed on their network or the ZixCorp Email Client installed on their PC, will receive an e-mail notice informing them that they have been sent an encrypted e-mail from MVP Health Care and instruct them to click on the Web link provided which will send them to a secured Web site to safely retrieve and read the encrypted (secured) e-mail. This is free of any cost.

ZixCorp VPM Hardware: Recipients who have the ZixCorp's VPM e-mail encryption server installed on their network (like the one we have on our network) will receive the email already decrypted in their Inbox. The e-mail will be encrypted by our VPM servers on the way out and decrypted by their VPM server on the way in, and vice versa. The user would have to purchase the full ZixCorp mail encryption system to do this.

ZixCorp Email Client Software - Recipients who do not have the ZixCorp VPM server on their network can use the ZixCorp Email Client. This software will allow the recipient to open and decrypt the e-mail from their email Inbox. The user would have to purchase the E-mail Client software for this scenario.

Q. Where can I learn more about this e-mail encryption solution?

A. For more information about ZixCorp or any of their products you can visit their website at www.ZixCorp.com.