As nearly half of the workforce is getting comfortable working from home, there need to be tools to ensure that it doesn’t cause security issues. Secure file sharing is probably one of the most substantial hurdles to working remotely for the biggest enterprises around. You need to learn about secure file sharing before you start using any tool you find.
Here are five tips to ensure that you protect your data as your enterprise adapts.
1. Go Pro or Stay Home
If you’re planning on putting together a filing system for your business, don’t skimp on the tool that you use. If you choose a consumer grade piece of software, you’re going to hit limits pretty fast. There’s a big difference between software that’s built to be used by companies and enterprises and what’s created for the average consumer.
Also Read: From DOCX to PDF: The Most Popular File Types for Documents
While it seems like an issue of scale, it’s also a matter of security. Building strong and secure software costs money in hiring developers and licensing tools to assist the work.
With some rare exceptions, you get what you pay for when it comes to secure software. Free file sharing tools can be a great help when you need to send a couple of photos to a friend. However, when you’re sending company assets, you need to take security seriously.
Software that’s developed for corporate or enterprise use will have significantly more encryption and privacy features than typical file sharing tools. When you’re dealing with your customers’ information or corporate data, you need to treat everything as confidential.
Investing in file sharing tools will ensure that you never lose customer trust do to a costly data breach that paints your company as inept or irresponsible. Check out virtual data room for one example of how you could be setting up your system.
2. Setting Permissions is Valuable
While you may want to give multiple people access to information, you don’t have to give everyone the same amount of access. If you’re distributing files digitally, you don’t have to lend that information permanently.
If you want to revoke access to anyone who doesn’t need the information anymore, you can do that. If you sent the information to the wrong person, you can change who has access to information at any time.
You might even be able to contain the number of hours that your colleagues will have to see those files, even if they downloaded them. Digital permission levels allow you to send your files to anyone you want under circumstances that you can set.
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Sending information doesn’t have to take control out of your hands. If you’re sending something that you need people to review but you can’t risk screenshots getting out, you can limit those screenshots. If they attempt to take a screen grab, it might just show up as a gray box.
With professional secure file sharing tools, you don’t have to worry about who has access when. If you need to revoke access or extend it, you don’t have to resend the whole thing again.
3. You Need To Stay Up To Date
Professional software systems are fallible just like any other piece of software. If they’re not updated constantly, they are subject to being hacked by nefarious actors.
Updating as often as developers want us to is a pain in the neck. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been hit with an update and put it off because you didn’t have time. However, since most updates are going to secure you from being hacked by viruses and ransomware you haven’t even heard of yet, you need to keep it that way.
Most of the updates that your file sharing software provider will send out are going to be related to security. That’s one of the most important reasons for using a professional file-sharing tool, so take advantage of that.
The smartest thing that any employer can do for their business or their staff is to prevent employees from accessing their computer until they update. While it might seem like a harsh move, you need to take security seriously.
4. Passwords Can Protect You
If you’ve sent encrypted files, it won’t matter if anyone can get access to them without proving their credentials. Having to enter credentials allows you to track who has access and who has seen your files.
Most document management systems allow you to put password protection over your files. This might not be the default, so take a look at your settings before you share a document.
If you can place passwords over files, people inside and outside of your company won’t be able to download files without credentials. Restricting access ensures your files won’t fall into the wrong hands. Sharing files with anyone unauthorized or outside of your team results in misinformation being spread.
People who don’t understand the context of a file or a project tend to have reactions that don’t consider all of the angles. Taking control over who is restricted from access allows you to keep your ideas safe until they’re ready for everyone’s consumption.
5. Start With Encryption
Encrypted files aren’t impossible to hack but they’re very difficult to break into. If hackers have the choice between digging through your encrypted files and looking at an unencrypted set of files, they’ll go with the unencrypted.
Even if they do all the work of decrypting your files, the data contained in them might not be comprehensible once they get it. The risk is much higher than the reward in this case. While most file sharing tools will encrypt files automatically, it’s not the default, so make sure you’ve got this setting turned on.
Secure File Sharing Protects Your Assets
If you use a secure file sharing tool, you never have to worry about your data falling into the wrong hands. You also don’t have to worry about where your staff is accessing files from. While other companies contend with crippling hacks, you’ll be protected. If you want to ensure your files are also stored securely, check out our latest guide to cloud storage.
