Are you a mental health professional looking for a secure and reliable email service to communicate with your clients? In today’s digital age, protecting sensitive patient information is more important than ever. With cyber threats on the rise, choosing an email provider that prioritizes privacy and security is crucial. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
That’s why we’ve done the research for you and compiled a list of the top 6 best secure email services for your private practice in behavioral health. From end-to-end encryption to HIPAA compliance, these providers have it all. Keep reading to find out which service best fits your needs, and take the first step toward protecting your client’s confidentiality.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Secure email is crucial for protecting sensitive information in behavioral health practices.
- Top secure email options for behavioral health include Paubox, Hushmail, Virtru, LuxSci, MDOfficeMail, and EnGuard.
- When selecting a secure email provider, consider end-to-end encryption, data privacy policies, and ease of use.
- Some secure email providers offer additional features, such as secure messaging and attachments.
- Ultimately, your practice’s best secure email provider will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
What To Consider While Choosing a Secure Email for Your Private Practice
When choosing a secure email service for your private practice in behavioral health, there are several important factors to consider. Here are some things to look for:
1) End-to-End Encryption: This security feature ensures that only the sender and recipient of an email can read its contents. This means that even if a hacker intercepts the email, they won’t be able to read it.
2) HIPAA Compliance: As a mental health professional, you’re required to comply with HIPAA regulations to protect the privacy of your clients’ sensitive health information. Make sure the email service you choose is HIPAA compliant.
3) Two-Factor Authentication: This additional layer of security requires users to provide two forms of identification before logging in to their email accounts. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your email account.
4) User-Friendly Interface: While security is important, you also want to choose an email service that is easy to use and navigate. Ensure the service you choose has a user-friendly interface you feel comfortable with.
5) Customer Support: If you run into any issues or have questions about the service, choosing an email provider with reliable customer support is important.
By considering these factors and researching, you can find a secure email service that meets your needs and protects your clients’ confidential information.
Before starting, here is a checklist for a private practice that can help you to become successful.
List of 6 Best Secure Emails for Your Private Practice in Behavioral Health [HIPAA Compliant]
Paubox is a safe and secure email service provider designed to offer HIPAA-compliant email and data protection for healthcare professionals. To ensure HIPAA compliance, the email providers should use systems that encrypt messages and attachments in transit and at rest; Paubox uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt your messages.
To fulfill HIPAA’s guidelines, Paubox provides a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) that ensures the company is held accountable for protecting your client’s confidential information, which many email companies do not offer. Paubox also offers features like two-factor authentication and email archiving, which are important for keeping your email account secure and organized.
Another benefit of Paubox is its ease of use. Unlike other secure email services that require recipients to log in to a portal to view encrypted emails, Paubox allows recipients to view messages directly in their inbox. This makes it easy for your clients to communicate with you securely without requiring any additional steps.
They provide three products, Email Suit, Email Marketing, and Email API; all of their products are HITrust CSF Certified that solve Healthcare providers’ communication issues in various ways. They provide their solution to Hospitals, Mental health professionals, physicians’ clinics, and other healthcare providers.
Paubox Email Suit comes with three different subscription plans –
-
Standard – HIPAA compliant; encrypted emails; Send emails using your existing client; Eliminates the risk of human error.
-
Plus – Standard Features; Inbound Security, ExecProtect, Zero Trust Email.
-
Premium – Standard & Plus features; Email archiving; Data loss prevention
Paubox’s Key Features:
-
Securely send protected health information
-
Integrates with major business email platforms
-
Emails delivered directly to the inbox
-
Dashboard access
-
HIPAA compliant
-
TLS protocols 1.2 & 1.3
-
Two-factor authentication
-
Real-time analytics
-
Phone support
-
Blacklist bot powered by AI
-
Malware and virus protection
-
Ransomware protection
-
Email Archiving
-
Free trial
Note: The features depend on your subscription.
Hushmail
Secondly, we have Hushmail on our list; it is also an encrypted email service provider with over 20 years of expertise in this field. Hushmail has a PGP-encrypted e-mail system that keeps your messages private from others. It happens using a special code that only you and the person you’re emailing can only read in text. No one except the sender and receiver won’t be able to read the messages and attachments.
Hushmail also has a vanity domain service that offers you to create a custom email address that looks professional and unique. So you can use this email address to make yourself look more professional when communicating with your client or patient.
Moreover, if you and the person you’re emailing both use Hushmail or have a special code called “PGP Key,” your emails will definitely be private and secure. But, if the recipient does not have this special code or Hushmail, you can create a password for them to read the message.
Using Hushmail, you can send messages to your patients even if they don’t use Hushmail; they can also reply to your messages. So, you can confidently share sensitive information with your intended recipients, knowing it’s fully protected.
Hushmail offers flexibility, so you can use third-party email apps like Outlook, Gmail, or your smartphone’s email app to send and receive emails. Include a keyword in the subject line to ensure your messages are encrypted. This will ensure an extra layer of security, allowing only the recipient to read the message. Hushmail also has an app for iPhones and iPads, making it easier to use.
Hushmail’s Key Features:
-
Encrypted Email and a Private Message Center
-
Secure Forms and Electronic Signatures
-
Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
-
Email Archiving
-
HIPAA compliant emails
-
60-day money-back guarantee
-
Secure web Forms building credit
-
Custom domain
-
Email aliases
-
Ready-made form templates
-
Conditional field visibility
-
ESIGN and UETA compliant
-
Automatically expiring messages
-
Customization & Branding
-
Technical support by phone and email
Virtru
At number 3, we have Virtru, a secure email service that provides end-to-end encryption for both email messages and attachments; thus, the sender and recipient can access the contents of the email, even if it’s intercepted by hackers or intercepted by third-party services.
Virtru is easy to use and allows you to integrate with your existing email services like Gmail, Outlook, or other email providers, making the process easy. So you don’t have to change your favorite email provider.
Virtru also provides additional security features, such as message expiration and revocation, allowing you to set an expiration date for an email or revoke access anytime. This is especially useful for healthcare providers who need to maintain HIPAA compliance and protect patient privacy.
Previously we have seen you have to enter a special key or keywords, but with Virtue, you can say goodbye remembering those things. Virtru allows senders to turn on these protections with a simple switch. This means that you don’t have to worry about forgetting to add a keyword, and you can ensure that your email remains protected even if it’s accidentally sent to the wrong person.
Virtru’s Key Features:
-
Works with Any Email Services
-
Email & File Data Protection
-
Administrator Control Center
-
Data Loss Protection
-
Bulk Decryption
-
Various Integrations
-
Premium Add-Ons
-
Great Support
-
CJIS, CMMC, ITAR, FedRAMP, HIPAA compliant
-
Advanced identity management
For new practitioners, here is some practical advice for a private practice that can teach you a lot of things.
LuxSci
LuxSci is a Highly configurable, reliable, and secure email service provider offering a range of features to encrypt your data. LuxSci uses a special type of technology named SecureLine, which encrypts all your emails to protect patient data.
LuxSci is also HIPAA compliant and provides various security features like dedicated servers, two-factor authentication, password expiration, time-based access controls, login auditing, custom firewalls, etc.
Instead of shared servers, this software can provide dedicated servers, lowering the risk of hacking and other risky threats. LuxSci has also made the setup simple; it can automatically set up everything and encrypt your messages.
In addition to its email service, LuxSci offers a range of other secure communications and collaboration tools, including secure file sharing, secure forms, and secure messaging. These tools make it easy for healthcare providers and other professionals to communicate and collaborate securely while maintaining compliance with regulations such as HIPAA.
LuxSci also provides a secure webmail interface that allows you to access your email from anywhere with an internet connection. The webmail interface includes features such as spam filtering, virus scanning, and phishing protection to keep your inbox clean and secure.
LuxSci’s Key Features:
-
HIPAA-compliant email Services & BAA
-
SecureLineTM email encryption
-
Dedicated IP Address & Server
-
Email Sending via SMTP & API
-
HighTrust CSF Certified
-
Easy to Use
MDOfficemail
In number 5, we have MDOfficemail, a HIPAA-compliant email service provider for healthcare professionals that encrypt your email and attachment with their technology. Besides email, they also offer secure fax and forms service.
One of the unique aspects of MDOfficemail is its true focus on the healthcare industry. The service is designed to meet healthcare professionals’ specific needs and requirements, including compliance with HIPAA regulations. So if you’re a private practitioner, it can be a great service.
MDOfficemail has an innovative system called MDVault which ensures the end-to-end security of emails. When you use a secure email provider, but your patient does not, it is not secure. With MDVault, you can securely send encrypted email messages over the internet to any email account, whether secure or not. With MDVault, you can be sure that your sensitive information remains private and protected, even if the recipient’s email account is not secure.
It is again fully flexible with your existing email services, like Gmail, Yahoo, and others.
MDOfficemail’s Key Features:
-
End-to-end encryption
-
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
-
Facility to validate the new recipient
-
HIPAA Business Agreement
-
Facility to expire already sent messages
-
Legal Archival
-
Automatic Session timeout
-
Access logs and Audit controls
-
No installations, no special requirements
-
Custom Customization Feature
-
Mobile phone access
-
BCC Archiving
-
Calendar
-
Advanced spam prevention and virus filtering
-
Auto migration
-
Change password reminder
-
Technical support
-
30-day FREE TRIAL
-
Cheap Price [Start from $ 1.89 / mailbox/mo]
enguard
Last but not least, enguard is also a HIPAA-compliant email service provider that provides safe and secure email service for healthcare professionals. They use TLS 1.3 256-Bit End-to-End Encryption to safeguard your data from various risks.
EnGuard uses industry-standard encryption protocols to ensure that your emails are secure and private, and they offer easy-to-use solutions for businesses to protect their confidential information.
Enguard’s Key Features:
-
Enguard Mail
-
Advance Webmail Interface
-
eChat service
-
HIPAA Compliant Telehealth for Video Conferencing and Screen Sharing
-
Secure File Attachments
-
Lighting Fast Push Email
-
Smartphone and Tablet Support
-
Data Loss Prevention
-
Blocks over 95% of spam
-
Safe and Fast DNS
-
NVMe flash storage
-
Real-Time Backup
-
Real-Time Sync
-
HIPAA Compliant Cloud Storage and File Sharing
-
Secure contact forms
With EnGuard, you can confidently communicate and ensure that your sensitive information is protected from prying eyes.
Summary
Each service is briefly described, highlighting its unique features and benefits, such as end-to-end encryption, customizable security settings, and HIPAA-compliant email. The post also emphasizes the importance of choosing a secure email service to protect sensitive information and provides helpful tips for selecting the best option for your needs.
Ultimately, deciding which secure email service to subscribe to will depend on several factors, such as the size of your practice group, your budget, and your specific needs in terms of security features and ease of use. We recommend carefully evaluating all of the options and considering these factors before making a decision. By doing so, you can ensure that you choose the best secure email service that meets your private practice’s unique behavioral health needs.
If you’re a new practitioner, then you must read the guide of Complete Guide for private practitioners. Also, beginners make a lot of mistakes and suffer, so here is a guide on mistakes new practitioners make when starting.