Today’s computers are capable of storing all types of files, including documents, songs, videos, and full applications. When you move one or more files from your local computer to another device or remote location, you are partaking in the activity of file sharing. In some scenarios, the recipient will have to accept the file, but typically the transfer will complete automatically.
The most common file sharing ones are physically sharing a disk device, using an FTP connection, or uploading data to a cloud-based system. With more and more people working from home and remote offices, it’s important to secure your network with a virtual private network (VPN) client before doing any file sharing. Most secure online file sharing software is vrtual data rooms like SecureDocs that are designed to handle sensitive information.
Use a VPN
It’s recommended businesses to implement a virtual private network employees can use when they need to access public wi-fi or another unsecured network. A public wi-fi can leave the internet user vulnerable to cybercriminals who want to steal sensitive data. But a VPN can shield their web traffic with the help of a secure tunnel making it more difficult for hackers to intercept it.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
FTP was one of the first methods invented for moving data across networks and it remains very popular today. FTP actions can be run through a command prompt window or a tool with a user interface. All it requires is for you to specify the source file you want to move and the destination where it should be placed.
Removable storage
When no network-based option will fulfill your needs, you can always rely on a physical drive to serve as your file transfer operation. This means you are literally copying data to a USB flash drive or external hard drive and plugging that device into the destination computer.
Ask employees to use strong passwords
A strong password makes it more difficult for a cybercriminal to gain access to sensitive and confidential data. Everyone who accesses the company’s network or confidential files should use strong passwords to prevent the bad actors from using their credentials to intercept the information.
Use a good password manager
After every employee creates a strong and secure password for each of their accounts, they can use a secure password manager to store and manage them to access them when needed easily.
Review files before sharing
It doesn’t matter if the file reaches someone inside or outside the organisation; you should review the content before sending it. You don’t want to send an irrelevant or inappropriate document to the recipient. It’s also important to check the file format because if it’s not converted to a PDF, it can suffer changes during transferring. PDFChef recommends converting all files to PDF before sending them to the intended recipient to ensure that they maintain their qualities.
Check if the sharing software fits your security strategy
Your file-sharing software should be part of your overall security strategy that has the role to safeguard your organisation and data. If the solution doesn’t fit into the larger security system, it’s not the right choice for your business because it can leave it vulnerable.
Use end-to-end encryption when transferring data
A method like end-to-end encryption facilitates secure file transfer because it enables data transfer between two users that are encrypted on the sending end and decrypted on the receiving end.