{"id":59654,"date":"2025-06-17T00:44:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=59654"},"modified":"2025-06-24T12:33:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T19:33:23","slug":"faxing-over-voip-encryption-and-compliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/faxing-over-voip-encryption-and-compliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Is faxing over VoIP secure? Understanding encryption and compliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fax emerged as a disruptive technology in the 1980s, providing businesses with the ability to safely transfer documents over existing telephony infrastructure. This level of security, accuracy, and speed was unmatched at the time\u2014a letter or private courier simply couldn\u2019t compete.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the present day, and traditional faxing is something of a business relic. It\u2019s still common in a few particular industries but for most of us, the need for a fax machine is all but gone.<\/p>\n

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) faxing is a replacement technology designed to retain the reliability and security of faxing, all while leveraging IP infrastructure. But how does it keep your business communications safe? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

What is faxing over VoIP?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Faxing over your VoIP phone service<\/a> is largely the same process as using a traditional fax machine. A document is copied by the machine and securely transmitted to the recipient. Internet fax will either use email messages or internet fax services to facilitate the one-to-one transfer of information, effectively mimicking the analog process that used traditional phone lines.<\/p>\n

How does transmission over VoIP differ from traditional methods?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the most part, the process is the same. The key differences lie in the way the data is transferred\u2014digital signals in a VoIP environment instead of analog signals\u2014and in the infrastructure required to support the process.<\/p>\n

Is faxing still relevant in 2025?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As mentioned, faxing is not the global technology it was 30 years ago. For many organizations, the heavy emphasis on security isn\u2019t relevant, and the additional steps needed over modern alternatives like email and instant messaging make it less useful.<\/p>\n

Faxing is still useful in industries with strict regulations and compliance requirements, such as healthcare companies and legal firms.<\/p>\n

When security is not recommended but demanded, faxing stands as one of the most effective methods of document transmission. Faxing over VoIP retains that level of security while bringing the technology into the digital age.<\/p>\n

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Benefits of fax over VoIP<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Faxing over VoIP has several benefits when compared to telephony faxing. While some of the advantages will vary from industry to industry, the benefits outlined here are well worth the investment.<\/p>\n

1. Leverages modern internet infrastructure to handle communications<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While a fax machine stashed away in the corner of the office was once a common sight across businesses worldwide, the same can\u2019t be said today. As demand for the process has diminished, so too has the available physical infrastructure to support it.<\/p>\n

VoIP faxing sidesteps the issue entirely, instead relying on the computers and mobile devices every company will have alongside the global IP network. So whether you\u2019re looking at how to streamline recruitment<\/a> processes when handling personal information, or a quick way to get signatures on contracts, VoIP faxing can help.<\/p>\n

2. Faster and more capable of handling large-scale faxing workloads<\/strong><\/h3>\n

IP networks have continued to evolve since their launch, with modern networks capable of gigabit speeds and massive amounts of data transfer. In comparison, a PSTN network can transmit only up to 64kbps (kilobits per second). That means it\u2019s roughly 15,000 times slower at transmitting an equivalent-sized file.<\/p>\n

3. More time and cost-effective<\/strong><\/h3>\n

VoIP faxing is vastly more cost-effective than telephony faxing. It doesn\u2019t rely on expensive and aging physical equipment, and you don\u2019t need to be wired up to the PSTN. Just as a softphone<\/a> has replaced a physical deskphone, VoIP faxing is freeing up offices of unneeded equipment. Plus multiple people can also send faxes at once\u2014so you\u2019re not wasting your staff’s time as they wait for the machine to be free.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, by leveraging the extensive IP network that spans the globe, there is a wider reach for faxes than even the well-established PSTN network. Internet subscriptions are a part of every company\u2019s expenses, which means there will be little additional outlay in getting your digital fax system up and running.<\/p>\n

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Challenges of fax over VoIP<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As useful and simple as faxing over VoIP is, there are certainly some challenges to be aware of.<\/p>\n

1. Analog tasks in a digital environment are complex<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While a VoIP to VoIP fax will be a digital-only affair, sending something between a traditional fax machine and a VoIP fax system is a completely different beast. Analog to digital conversion is no simple process and can lead to all manner of issues if mishandled.<\/p>\n

Of course, the process is automated by the machines and VoIP system themselves, but problems can still happen. The analog-to-digital conversion process introduces additional failure points that other systems won\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

2. Shares infrastructure with potentially insecure devices<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As the vast majority of VoIP fax tasks will be handled using a personal computer that\u2019s part of a vast network of connected devices, it is important to have robust IT security at all times.<\/p>\n

While there are several safeguards in place to ensure a secure fax process time after time, the presence of an infected machine creates a dangerous situation that can be hard to quantify. Even with end-to-end encryption<\/a> in place, a single compromised device could lead to loss of data, interception of incoming faxes, and profound complications for your business.<\/p>\n

3. Reliability is dependent upon network conditions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As VoIP faxing essentially relies on the same network as your other communications, any instability or loss of network performance will impact your ability to send and receive faxes.<\/p>\n

Any form of packet loss or jitter in the network can cause havoc with the faxing process, which demands absolutely rock-solid network conditions to ensure a successful transfer. Your ability to fax will depend on how robust your VoIP connection is.<\/p>\n

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Understanding encryption and compliance for VoIP faxing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Encryption has been at the heart of fax technology since its inception. There have been many methods and protocols in place to ensure consistent encryption and security, though the two most notable are the T.30 and T.38 protocols. The T.30 protocol governs the rules and regulations of any transmission of documents over the PSTN (public switched telephone network) and governs all fax procedures as a result.<\/p>\n

Numerous other protocols touch upon smaller and more specific aspects of data transfer, such as the T.4 and T.6 protocols used for image transfers, but they all fall within the purview of the T.30 protocol. With the switch to digital-first transfers, however, the T.30 protocol is not fit to effectively moderate the process. For this reason, the T.38 protocol has been established to achieve the same goal: safe and reliable fax transfers.<\/p>\n

The T.38 protocol explained<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Created in 1998, the T.38 protocol was designed as an answer to the aging T.30 protocol and as a way to leverage IP technology. Fundamentally, it can operate in two main ways\u2014as the end-to-end point for a fax to be transferred using T.38 to T.38 protocol, or as a go-between for T.30 devices that want to use the VoIP network.<\/p>\n

The protocol determines the bandwidth limits and compression of the files. It also mitigates the threat of packet loss by using repeat packet sends as new packets are sent to ensure the final file can be faithfully reconstructed..<\/p>\n

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Digital encryption explained<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the biggest advantages of digital faxing over PSTN faxing is the security itself. Traditional analog methods use audio-based encryption to protect fax transmissions by converting the file into audio information before being converted back to the intended file at the recipient\u2019s machine. This form of security is exploitable in itself, but it is the machines used that are equally at risk of being compromised.<\/p>\n

While no technology can claim complete protection from nefarious deeds, the security features in place with the T.38 protocol and VoIP faxing are more robust than traditional methods. There are a few key security functions to take advantage of, some of which are shared with other IP-based communications:<\/p>\n