How to Share Your Files Safely
Sharing documents digitally has transformed the way collaboration is done in business, but it can come with risks. Unauthorized file sharing can leave your data vulnerable to hackers. Fortunately, education on the pitfalls and comprehensive sharing protocols can help.
Email is one of the easiest and most common way to share documents, but it’s also one of the more popular targets for cyberattacks. If your email gets hacked, everything including attachments, sensitive documents or photos, can fall into the hands of criminals. Unless your emails are encrypted or authenticated is some manner, anyone beyond you and the recipient can potentially access and read them. Hackers commonly use email in phishing scams.
In addition to educating employees about the signs and dangers of phishing scams, discourage data sharing over email and provide more secure options instead.
Social Media
Social media is an important networking tool, but when employees transfer proposals, information, and other documents over social media and their associated messaging apps, that data is vulnerable to hacking. Social media sites should not be considered secure enough for most business transactions.
External Devices
When employees use their own phones or USB flash drives to store and transfer data, it has left your control. If they then use unsecured Wi-Fi or don’t protect that data, your business could suffer the consequences.
Restrict the use of personal devices and external storage, and if they’re necessary, keep track of who is using them to help maintain control.
Cloud File Sharing
File sharing software is the safest way to digitally share files, and many platforms, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox are designed with businesses and security in mind.
Employees should be encouraged to only use the company’s chosen file sharing platform, and educated on how to use it properly to share files. Password protection and encryption of files should be required for any confidential information. Choosing a secure and user-friendly platform can help ensure compliance with proper file sharing protocols.
Sharing files is essential for collaboration, but can leave your data vulnerable. By educating your employees on proper sharing protocols and providing a secure platform, you can reduce your risk while maintaining consistency and ease-of-use across your entire organization.
Want to learn more? Ask us about our solutions for secure data sharing to keep your business safe!
