Security in Mobility: 7 Security Practices Your Team Must Apply When Sharing Files Digitally

Sharing documents is easy in today’s digital workplace due to the wide variety of software solutions available. However, that doesn’t mean all of them are secure. 

In our fast-paced business market, employees may forgo security practices meant to safeguard their organization against data theft. It’s essential that your company reinforces the steps employees should take to ensure file sharing doesn’t put your reputation at risk.

7 Best Security Practices for Secure Online File Sharing

In a world reliant on email and other sharing methods to transmit information, you need to ensure malicious actors don’t have access to your data. Use the following security practices.

1. Enable Secure File Sharing

Enabling secure file sharing is one of the best ways to protect your company’s data. Businesses can bypass the limitations of sharing files via Dropbox and email because they won’t need to use a third-party service. Companies like Triofox allow you to add secure file sharing to your on-site file servers, which provides cloud access, permission controls, and improved security.

2. Set Expiry Dates for Files

There are some files that shouldn’t be accessible forever. Unless you plan to work with one of your clients in the near future, it’s better to delete their info off your server. Otherwise, their personal information may be compromised years from now, and you might not have the means to warn them. What’s more, you’re less likely to update older files, leaving them open to viruses.

3. Use Strong Passwords

A strong password includes more than 12 characters, capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. You also shouldn’t ever use known information about you in your passcode, like hobbies or your favorite movie. It’s also recommended that you use different passwords for each software or website you use. If you have a bad memory, install a password manager.

4. Limit File Access

Limit access to both individual files and file folders in a structured manner. For example, create groups based on apartments (marketing, customer service, accounting) or job levels (management, employees, trainees). Not everyone needs access to every single file in your database, so limit access to limit file sharing misuse or finger-pointing from other departments.

5. Rollout Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is incredibly important because it ensures users are who they say they are. The first step of MFA involves a password or a pin number, but the second step can only be accessed by the person themselves with a token, key fob, or cell phone code. The last step involves a biometric identifier, like voice recognition, which is difficult to fake.

6. Educate and Train Staff on Secure File Sharing

Quality file sharing software does most of the work to ensure your files stay secure, but it can all fall apart if your staff decides to unknowingly or knowingly take dangerous shortcuts. At the same time, your staff may adopt unsafe physical solutions, like leaving their laptop unattended or sharing on public Wi-Fi. Educate your staff on secure file sharing to avoid common missteps.

7. Review and Encrypt Files Before Sharing

We’re not talking about micromanaging your staff to ensure their files are secure before their being sent, but we are saying to review each file’s contents before hitting send. You don’t want to send an irrelevant or inappropriate document to the client accidentally. Even worse, you may forward another client’s private or personal files to your current client.

Not only will this make you look unprofessional, but it may also make the client question whether or not you’ve done this with other customers. You may start to lose customers from this simple yet destructive mistake. However, mistakes do happen. If all of your documents are encrypted, and your client can’t access them, you can still prove you take security seriously.