You have a few alternatives when it comes to sharing sensitive material with coworkers, third-party partners, or regulatory organizations. However, if you need to transmit data securely and with little friction online, this selection swiftly narrows. Most businesses use cloud-based solutions to protect sensitive data in files that are shared.
Why Is It Important to Send Files Securely?
Online file storage solutions such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud are used by 60% of people. Data is also shared through email by 51% of companies.
Cloud-based solutions, such as Gmail and Google Drive, provide a terrific way for enterprises to communicate data, but the security of these techniques must be examined before they are used to store and distribute critical files. Use our data sharing calculator to figure out how much sensitive information you’re giving and how you can limit it.
Data that is sensitive must be kept safe
By 2022, Gartner expects half of mid- to large-sized businesses to utilize a content collaboration platform (CCP) for file-based communication. CCP vendors are offering multi-device compatibility and complex sharing procedures that stretch data even further beyond the control of the business as growth stimulates competition.
Organizations require additional control as the usage of CCPs and file sharing grows, in order to protect privacy and compliance. Organizations have seen a 53 percent rise in the amount of files containing sensitive data transferred over the cloud in the last year alone.
Security Issues with Files
It’s a balancing act to keep data safe while facilitating internal and external sharing, and 63 percent of firms say their current file-sharing capabilities aren’t secure enough. One of the most difficult issues is keeping track of what happens to a file after it has been shared. Google Drive, for example, employs Transport Layer Security (TLS) to safeguard data in transit and prevent eavesdropping and manipulation. The TLS encrypts the communication channel via which you may create, edit, and share documents in Google Drive.
While TLS is a good starting point for security, it only protects the communication channel, not the data, so you won’t have permanent protection and control over a Drive document throughout its existence. Once files have been opened, they may become susceptible.
Furthermore, without data-centric encryption, the cloud vendor will have access to your personal information. For many businesses, this is a regulatory issue, necessitating the inclusion of extra security layers.
Not only is guaranteeing actual privacy for files holding private data and intellectual property a priority, but so is ensuring compliance with data privacy standards like HIPAA.
All of this boils down to one simple concept: in order to work with trust, businesses must be able to retain consistent control over data shared both internally and externally. Let’s look at three industrial examples to demonstrate this.
Technology
Intellectual property (IP) is a vital component of every company’s success. Technological companies’ IP, for example, is likely to be in the form of product blueprints, code, specifications, and technical documentation, as well as other IP-containing files. These organizations must share their intellectual property.
Not only must file sharing be done in a way that does not stifle innovation, but the company must also be able to maintain control in order to avoid IP theft and preserve a competitive edge.