Enterprise File Sharing With Maximum Security & Compliance
Need a new enterprise file sync and sharing solution to replace your old FTP? We look at the pros and cons of some current solutions, top features, and how to choose the best one for you.
What is enterprise file sharing? Enterprise file sharing is a platform, software, or vendor that allows your business to seamlessly send data across the network to coworkers or customers. It allows for collaboration, easy integration, and control of the data sent.
What Is Secure File Sharing
Enterprise file sharing with maximum security and compliance, or quite simply, secure file sharing, refers to the process of sharing files in a manner that ensures data privacy and data security. This can be achieved through various methods such as encryption, password protection, access controls, and secure file transfer protocols. Secure file sharing is essential for businesses and organizations that handle sensitive content, as it helps protect personally identifiable information and protected health information (PII/PHI), intellectual property, and other sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Some common methods of secure file sharing include secure email, secure collaboration, virtual data rooms, and peer-to-peer encrypted file sharing. These methods typically utilize advanced encryption algorithms and authentication mechanisms to protect data while it is being shared and stored. Overall, secure file sharing is a critical component of information security and is crucial for protecting sensitive content from cyber threats.
What Is the Difference Between Traditional and Enterprise File Sharing?
File sharing seems like a relatively simple task and in some ways it is. Some of the most basic features of early internet technology involved the ability to transfer files between users. With the advent of cloud platforms like Dropbox and Google Drive, file syncing and sharing became that much easier.
These tools typically do not address the security or compliance needs of enterprise clients, however. That’s when developers started building enterprise solutions for file sync and sharing and management, called enterprise file sharing (EFS), or sometimes enterprise file sync and sharing (EFSS).
There are risks that your business will take when opting for traditional file sharing over EFSS solutions, including data breaches, inefficiencies, and noncompliance with any relevant regulations required by your industry.
What Are Some of the Key Features of Enterprise File Sharing Software?
What puts the “enterprise” in enterprise file sharing? Critical features for storage, efficiency, and reporting. Some of the basic features included in many enterprise file sharing solutions include:
- Additional support for large files or unique file extensions. Many enterprise file sync and share solutions will directly support large transfers and file types that aren’t common outside of specific applications or industries.
- Built-in SaaS tools to handle file creation and editing. Most platforms are offering tools or integrations for document management and creation, spreadsheet creation, and video or audio streaming.
- Advanced security controls for encryption and data loss prevention. Security is critical for the success of any data-driven business. A file sync, storage, and sharing platform must have key security features like encryption, file scanning, and data protection.
- Automation tools to schedule transfers and backups. Scheduling backups, audits, and transfers will help your business scale. When you don’t have to manually monitor your data, you’re in a better position to focus on your business and not your data management.
- Robust reporting tools to track usage and compliance. Many industries will require you to keep detailed records of file access and security and many enterprise file sharing platforms will support granular reporting to this effect. Additionally, you can use reporting to get a view of how your business uses data and how to improve things like productivity.
- Complete visibility of data and access. A solid enterprise solution should give you a complete view of your big-picture transfers and storage. This includes not only the placement of data but how it is transmitted and who is accessing it.
Note that not all enterprise file sharing solutions offer all these features in a single package.
What Are the Benefits of Enterprise File Sharing?
Enterprise file sharing offers a plethora of benefits for businesses of all sizes. First, it simplifies collaboration among teams and departments, making it easier for employees to access, share, and edit files in real time. As a result, it minimizes time wasted on manually sending files through email or other traditional methods. Second, it enhances data security by ensuring that all files are stored in a centralized location that is accessible only by authorized personnel. This minimizes the risk of data breaches and accidental data loss.
Enterprise file sharing also improves the overall productivity of businesses by streamlining workflows and eliminating redundancies. It also enhances transparency and accountability by providing detailed audit trails that show who accessed and made changes to a particular file. Finally, it reduces the cost of IT infrastructure by eliminating the need for businesses to store and maintain physical files on on-premises servers. This not only saves money but also frees up valuable resources that can be channeled toward more critical areas of the business.
Does Enterprise File Sharing Support Cloud Storage and Mobile Access?
Absolutely. One of the key advantages of an EFS solution is the ability to use the cloud to connect employees with critical files while still maintaining security controls. While you can use on-premises technology to manage an enterprise file sharing solution, the real strength of modern enterprise file sharing software is cloud availability.
Your organization can deploy an enterprise file sharing solution on private or hybrid cloud storage. Your employees would create, access, and manipulate files in that cloud environment from authorized devices.
That’s all well and good for traditional computers like desktop or laptop workstations. Where cloud enterprise file sharing solutions also shine is the ability to integrate mobile devices through specific apps. Much like consumer-grade apps for more general cloud storage platforms, these apps allow your team to access and manage files on tablets and phones wherever they are.
However, unlike these consumer apps, enterprise file sync and share apps will help your organization maintain internal security and, if necessary, security compliance. Many enterprise file sharing services will come with built-in file controls to ensure that files on remote devices stay secure and that employees don’t share them outside your organization.
Kiteworks Secure File Sharing for Maximum Security and Compliance
The Kiteworks Private Content Network offers organizations a flexible and scalable platform for secure file sharing. While there are several enterprise file sharing solutions in the marketplace, Kiteworks is uniquely positioned to support businesses in highly regulated industries with their security and compliance requirements. Here is a snapshot of just a few of Kiteworks’ security and compliance capabilities:
- A hardened virtual appliance that minimizes your attack surface and system vulnerabilities
- Secure deployment flexibility including on-premises, hosted, private, hybrid, and FedRAMP virtual private cloud
- Email protection gateway that lets you encrypt emails and manage your encryption keys, handle different encryption standards used by your partners, send and receive encrypted email in a Microsoft RMS environment, and more
- Integration with your data loss prevention (DLP), advanced threat prevention (ATP), security information and event management (SIEM), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol/Active Directory (LDAP/AD), single sign-on (SSO), and other technologies in your security infrastructure, providing a single point of integration for sensitive content protection
- CISO Dashboard that lets you see every file that enters and leaves your organization, including who sends what to whom
- Integration with enterprise applications like Salesforce (SFDC), Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft OneDrive, and others for secure compliant file sharing within the systems your employees use all day, every day
- Supports Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001, National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), and other data privacy regulations and standards
Schedule a custom demo to learn how Kiteworks can help you achieve the highest levels of secure and compliant enterprise file sharing.
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