Secure E-mail Communication
By: Glen Caspers, Director Information Technology Division
The OSBC has successfully tested and implemented secure electronic mail with Federal regulatory agencies. State examiners may now exchange files and discuss confidential information via e-mail with FDIC and FRB examination staff. What does this mean for the bank and trust companies of Kansas? This is a big efficiency enhancement particularly as it pertains to joint examinations and off-site monitoring. Protecting your confidential examination data is a huge priority for all regulatory agencies. Prior to this implementation, examiners were severely restricted in how confidential information could be exchanged.
How is this secure e-mail accomplished? The OSBC utilizes Transport Layer Security (TLS) to communicate with the FDIC. This method securely encrypts all e-mail and attachments sent between the OSBC and the FDIC. TLS is a protocol that ensures privacy and data integrity between client/server applications communicating over the Internet. Encrypted e-mail with the Federal Reserve System is accomplished with a secure e-mail technology provided by the Zix Corporation, Dallas, Texas. ZixCorp specializes in secure e-communication services in the finance, insurance and health care fields. Secure Internet communications between state and federal regulators is a huge innovation that has been in the works for several years.
