The ability to share files is critical for today’s businesses, but when companies pivoted to a remote work model last year, this ability was quickly compromised. Sure, coworkers could pass documents back and forth, but were those documents secure? That’s the most significant concern facing businesses and one that the average email platform can’t solve. Luckily, there are other programs that can help…
Cloud-based services have played an integral role in businesses’ ability to go remote because they allow team members to access databases, documents, and important software platforms via login rather than a local server. These programs aren’t new, though, and many business services shifted to the cloud over the last several years, even among very small operations. That being said, when addressing issues like secure file transfers, cloud-based programs offer the ideal framework for several reasons.
File Styles: Be Ready For Anything
First, cloud-based file transfer systems are better equipped than email or other popular options for managing a wide variety of file formats, including audio and video files and specialty file types like those used in the Adobe creative suite. This is important for those in media and creative industries, whose files tend to be larger and harder to exchange. Add security issues into the mix, and managing these file types for remote projects can be unwieldy.
Centering Security: The Encryption Puzzle
The most important issue for businesses to consider when it comes to managing file transfers is ensuring that they are secured during the exchange process – and, to complicate things, how those documents need to be secured depends on the industry. For example, healthcare and insurance organizations typically need to use HIPAA-compliant systems, while finance companies need to follow FINRA guidelines.
Even if your organization isn’t held to a specific set of industry security regulations, choosing a file sharing platform that’s compliant with major privacy standards can work to your advantage in the long-term, allowing your business to partner with a wide range of organizations. Plus, choosing software that meets such high-level encryption standards ensures that your documents are fully protected and that you’re going above and beyond what your industry and clients expect.
Know Your Options: Encryption Styles
While most privacy guidelines, including HIPAA, have encryption requirements, those requirements are actually quite non-specific. That means you can choose among different encryption styles based on the file types involved and the tools available to your business. Ultimately what matters when navigating the remote file transfer process, though, is that you are thoroughly encrypting your documents. Whether you do that using a PGP key or an FTP platform, or another system altogether is up to you.
Business-focused cloud programs have been one of the most powerful innovations when it comes to secure file-transfers, not just ensuring that files are protected but also supporting users with their agile framework and ease of use. And, by choosing an integrated system rather than a transfer-only platform, you open up a world of collaboration and communication opportunities for your business. It’s the best way to prioritize security without weighing down your operations, so don’t wait to upgrade your transfer strategy.
