File transfer is a critical process in the corporate environment. In most cases, it is through the transfer of files that staff can collaborate. File transfer is also necessary to stay in touch with partners.
For these reasons, your file transfer processes should be held to the highest standards to ensure that messages are promptly delivered. You don’t want cases of hackers getting access to your emails and distorting your messages or the files ending up on someone else’s machine. Not only would this cost your business, but relevant authorities could also penalize you for non-compliance.
Thankfully, most of the file transfer pitfalls are easily identifiable. Below are the first three you need to deal with right away to avoid non-compliance penalties;
1. Using email for file transfer
Attaching files in your emails and sending them to your colleagues at work is not a bad thing. If any case, email is the fastest and perhaps also the cheapest way to share files.
However, there are two problems with email transfers. First, email is largely insecure. How many times have you heard about hacks and major data breaches beginning with a simple email? It happens a lot, the reason being that it’s easy to hack into email systems. To this end, it’s advisable only to use email when transferring casual files such as photos and personal documents. But, when it comes to sensitive business documents, email might not be the best option. Secondly, email is unmanaged. Even the sender can’t establish whether or not the intended recipient received the sent files.
2. Using File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Yes, FTP solves some of the challenges posed by emails. So, it’s obviously the better choice when you have to pick between the two.
However, it isn’t the most powerful software for today about corporate file sharing. FTP has many limitations – the main one being that FTP is legacy technology. FTP has been in use since the very first computers were invented, yet the technology hasn’t changed much over that period. It is only recently that we saw a few tweaks made to make it more secure. And, even with those improvements, you can’t say that FTP servers have become impenetrable. For starters, even the latest FTP servers don’t provide modern encryption protocols. This exposes your company to a floodgate of data breaches and compliance issues.
3. Relying on consumer file sharing apps
If you choose to go in this direction, you’re digging your own grave. Applications like Dropbox and SugarSync, while popular, are not meant for corporate file sharing; they are designed for consumers to share photos and non-sensitive files.
Your IT department cannot even manage files shared on DropBox and those other fancy file sharing apps. It means that when the time for audit or e-discovery comes, you won’t be able to find files hanging outside users’ folders – a serious compliance issue that you need to avoid at all costs.
If you want to enhance efficiency while ensuring compliance, keep away from these three file transfer pitfalls.