3 Real Government Uses for Secure File Transfer (and more)
Government organisations are prime targets for cyber-attacks. This is not only because they hold sensitive information that can be exploited, but also because they are the backbone of society’s core services.
In fact, public sector threats have had significant impact in recent years are expected to rise. In 2022, the NHS was the subject of a ransomware attack that resulted in patient data being leaked. In 2023, the Electoral Commission announced that they had been hacked the previous year, and tens of millions of voters’ details were released, without detection.
The overwhelming conclusion of these attacks was that the UK government failed to sufficiently invest in secure solutions. Now, two years after the release of the Government Cyber Security Strategy, the need to implement stronger cyber security solutions is pressing.
The need for secure communication solutions
In the bid to update cyber security systems and reinforce resilience against the risk of attack, secure content communication is key.
We have worked with several UK government departments in recent years that have expressed that securing email, data and file transfer is a priority. This is because the current solutions are starkly outdated and, consequently, unsuitable.
A sea of manual processes and siloed communication channels makes systems highly vulnerable. The volume of data needing processed can overwhelm standard tools, causing potential disruption for critical services. And, legacy platforms often aren’t equipped to protect sensitive data from attack.
These are just a few of the worries we’ve heard from government departments first hand. Overall, agencies want and need a modern communication solution that can address these security concerns, long-term.
How secure file transfer (and other solutions) can support cyber resilience
Secure content communication solutions include tools like secure file transfer, end-to-end email encryption, digital rights management, sharing and access controls, and more. Working together within one-stop-shop platform, these solutions provide a completely secure environment for internal, inter-agency, and external communication.
Here are a few real-world examples of how the Kiteworks Private Content Network has supported government agencies to secure their communication:
1. Assure the delivery of mission-critical data
Many government departments provide mission-critical services which must not be disrupted. Secure content communication solutions can support this by protecting essential data at rest and in transit.
For example, one agency was collecting important data from multiple sources to inform a national service. In this scenario, its homegrown and heavily manual managed file transfer (MFT) solution had been outgrown. The agency wanted to introduce a new third-party solution that could collect data from multiple vendors, then process and transfer these large volumes of data with a high degree of reliability.
Kiteworks provided a strategic MFT and SFTP (secure file transfer protocol) solution that would assure the collection and delivery of data for mission-critical applications across the country. It afforded them a better and more reliable service, ensuring that data was delivered securely and at speed to its destination.
The solution included:
- Replacing manual scripts with an automated environment to improve operational efficiency and reliability, reduce overheads, and strengthen security
- Consolidating all vendor data into one platform where it can then be accurately processed and passed to the end-service system
- A strategic, tier 1 response service that provides 99.99% availability and an objective recovery time of less than 15 minutes
After this project, the solution was further adopted by several other departments.
2. Protect sensitive data in an air gapped system
Many government organisations are working with private data. For example, health services hold PPI data, security services contain confidential intelligence and PPI, and criminal justice services hold both highly sensitive data and data that is critical for legal proceedings. This data needs to be protected, but it will also need to be regularly accessed and shared.
In a recent project example, it was essential for an agency to protect multi-modal data and files from external exploitation or unauthorised access. However, they were also concerned about making it easy for the right people to use it. Previously, this had been the priority, but they now needed to find a better balance between high levels of security and a simple but thorough access control process.
Our solution replaced the homegrown legacy system with a completely air gapped environment with stringent security protocols. Not even we, as vendors, could access their data. Nevertheless, to make access easy for authorised users, we enabled the following:
- A single sign on process for authorised users
- An intuitive web form process to control and justify access to materials
- Enterprise secure file sharing for internal communication
In this scenario, Kiteworks was the sole vendor taken through to consideration due to our security and data access measures.
3. Meet data compliance requirements
Government agencies, like many other UK organisations, have regulatory requirements they must adhere to. The DPA and GDPR are two notable examples. Content communications are a key area where data is being accessed, shared, transferred or stored, and so solutions must adhere to these regulations.
In one project, the agency needed to adapt its processes to adhere to an updated clause in the Data Protection Act (DPA). This clause requires you to justify why you’re sharing sensitive data. As a result, the agency’s legacy solution became not-fit-for-purpose, but the associated costs and resources required to update it meant this wasn’t a viable solution. In addition, the agency needed a solution which would be up and running in a short period of time in order to meet the compliance deadline.
Built to meet UK regulatory standards, our Private Content Network secured the agency’s sensitive data communications in compliance with DPA and GDPR with immediate effect.
- It prevented any outside and unauthorised access, using webforms to request justification for any attempted access
- The vendor, Kiteworks, has no access to the data stored or shared
- It has an immutable audit trail to monitor all data or user-related activity and enable the agency to evidence compliance
How Kiteworks can help your agency
Our one-stop-shop secure communication platform can be adapted for many different use cases, as demonstrated. Whether it’s reliable data transfer, stringent security, or encrypted communication that you need, we facilitate completely secure communication across all the channels you may be using.
Our strategic solution can be rolled out across departments for easier collaboration and an innate interoperability that assures ‘always on’ security. Built with the input of the National Audit Office, and with industry security standards and regulatory compliance in mind, Kiteworks can be trusted to modernise your solutions and meet your needs for resilient cyber security.
Get in touch with us to see how we can meet your security, compliance and governance needs.
FAQs
The first generation of managed file transfer (MFT) vendors developed their architectures in the 1990s and 2000s. But now we live in a world where advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks have become a business model, and it’s no longer enough to just encrypt the transfers and put access controls on directories.
Because of this, Kiteworks reinvented managed file transfer with a modern, hardened virtual appliance architecture wrapped around a next-generation flow engine. We added enterprise scale-out and high availability ready for worldwide clusters in the cloud, on-premises, or hybrid. We further enabled scale and efficiency with access-controlled multi-user authoring and operations management, including a graphical flow designer, intuitive troubleshooting traces, and timing diagrams for maximising throughput. And of course, security, security, and more security.
Kiteworks operates as a managed file transfer (MFT) platform, offering a centralised environment for secure data transfer between department and agency systems. It employs strong encryption, ensuring data protection during transit, and provides visibility into file activity. This helps government agencies maintain the confidentiality and integrity of their sensitive and mission-critical data while demonstrating regulatory compliance.
Kiteworks is a top choice for agencies aiming to secure file sharing and other data sharing or transfer practices. By combining encryption during transit, granular access controls, and activity monitoring, Kiteworks safeguards data from unauthorised access and aligns with UK data regulations. Its secure access features, such as real-time document editing via Microsoft Office integration or webforms to manage authorised access, further enhance its ability to keep your data safe while making it accessible to those who need it.
Central government agencies face significant security and compliance risks when communicating file and email content. As these agencies handle sensitive information, such as PII or mission-critical data, cyber-attacks and poor content-policy tracking and controls can lead to data breaches and unauthorised access to sensitive data. Security risks can also arise from third-party communications using file sharing, mobile enterprise apps, web portals, and automated inter-business workflows. This becomes even more likely when agencies are working with long supply chains, the communication for which is being managed across multiple siloed channels.
Malicious actors may infiltrate third-party suppliers or contractors and use them to gain sensitive government information directly or island hop to gain access to government systems. Many content communications platforms are not equipped with the security measures needed to protect sensitive data and help agencies remain compliant. Kiteworks offers many capabilities that are purpose-built to secure government data in transit and at rest, and adhere to GDPR, NIST and other UK security standards. 5 of the top capabilities include:
- Uniform security and governance for cloud services
- Secure and unlimited sized file sharing
- Granular access controls and authorisation webforms
- Private or air gapped deployment for complete data control
- Secure and compliant team sharing and encrypted external sharing
Additional Resources