The Best Ways to Share Files Securely

In our fast-paced, electronic-device driven world, in-person document delivery rarely occurs. In business situations, we collaborate and edit files online with colleagues near and far. In our personal lives, we work on our own financial and professional goals with companies oftentimes remotely. When it comes to transferring private and confidential documents, email is simply too unprotected. Let’s take a look at the best ways you can share files securely for business and in your personal life.

File Sharing Basics

File sharing allows us to send and store files with other users, and generally, file sharing platforms allow users to set/grant certain levels of access to users within their network. Typically, file sharing services allow each user to have a certain amount of storage. File sharing services are often required as email usually limits the size of files that can be attached. And while email service providers often have corresponding technology for sending larger files, they are as vulnerable as the email themselves.

Forms of File Sharing

Here are common methods used by organizations to share files.

·       FTP (file transfer protocol) programs: 

This is the most common method. Users gain access with a password and can edit or access files from an FTP server site. Some methods are web-based, and others require downloading programs. Usernames and passwords are required.

·       Peer-to-peer networks: 

This software & hardware allows users to share files and communicate over the peer-to-peer network. The files are stored on the user’s device rather than a main server. Skype is a type of p2p network.

·       Transportable Storage Media: 

Memory cards, hard disks, jump drives, etc. can be loaded with media on one device and delivered to the intended recipient. Access may require passwords and/or logging into an FTP client in some cases.

·       Online File Sharing Providers: 

users obtain apps or software that allows them to login and transfer/store files that can be shared with/downloaded by other users of the same software/apps. Dropbox is an example of this type of file sharing.

Pros and Cons of File Sharing

The pros of file sharing are pretty obvious. Important documents can be delivered in a timely fashion that allows the recipient to make use of them for a variety of purposes. Productivity is increased when files can be sent in a matter of seconds and edited remotely. Consolidating files in an online storage option is also beneficial.

The risks of file sharing should make seeking the best ways to share files securely a priority. Users can download a file with malware or files that aren’t legally shareable due to copyright. Users can publicly share files that are intended to be kept private. Furthermore, some file sharing services require that security be reduced for their use.

What to Look for In a Secure File Sharing Option

All organizations have files that need to be transferred and stored securely. Businesses have transactional data with clients, customer information, and products information to secure. Doctors’ practices have confidential medical information about patients. Journalists receive private information and sensitive documents. The fallout from these documents being hacked or released can be catastrophic.

Faxing, email, and typical FTP aren’t that secure. Even files that require password sharing aren’t as secure as they seem. Other methods of file sharing such as Dropbox, removable storage media, secure FTP, and Tresorit are better, but still the security doesn’t match the level required for full confidence.

PGP offers organizations unparalled security, but it unfortunately requires users to learn more about encryption that they are willing or capable of doing. This difficulty can result in some users resorting to easier and less secure file transfer methods in a pinch. Worse, some clients and colleagues may refuse to use it.

The Best Ways to Share Files Securely

Trustwire combines the robust security of PGP with none of the hassle. Simply sign up for Trustwire and begin sharing files securely. Trustwire allows you to use end-to-end encryption to send files, and you can send secure messages along with your file. Trustwire will never access your documents or analyze your data for any purpose at all. Take the guess work out of file sharing, and sign up with Trustwire today.

The Best Encrypted Email for Your Business

Sending encrypted email used to exist on in the realm of the most technically-savvy users of the internet. These days, everyone uses email in their personal and professional lives, so user-friendly options exist, but they’re not all equal. In order to find the best encrypted email for your organization, you need to focus on the balance between security and ease of use.

The Most Secure Email

Probably the most secure service will employ PGP or S/MIME. While it is the most secure, it cannot be used by your typical email user. Using PGP requires managing your own encryption and keys. Another consideration is that the person you’re emailing has to have similar technical knowledge. So this can work in a small-group setting, but likely not meet the needs of most organizations.

Important Points about Encryption

Most digital security professionals consider 256-bit encryption to be trustworthy when it comes to transferring and storing sensitive data. 256-bit refers to the length of the key required to decrypt the email.  Because 256-bit encryption requires such a long key, it is essentially bulletproof.

Point-to-Point or End-to-End

Some email service providers only secure messages at the sender’s and user’s computers. This leaves the email vulnerable as it travels through a server from one destination to the other. The problem occurs if the data is intercepted in the server, which may or may not be secure. On the other hand, end-to-end encryption ensures that the email is encrypted while in transit, as well as its origin and destination.

Ease of Use

So why is ease of use so important? Typically, if we want people in our organization to use something faithfully, we need to make it easy for them to do so. If we burden colleagues or clients with tedious processes, they will resort to less secure methods. However, ease of use is not generally the forefront of the best encrypted email.

The Best Encrypted Email

Trustwire does use 256-bit encryption and PGP but requires no special encryption knowledge of its users. Additionally, because it’s web-based, Trustwire can be accessed anywhere in the world with no special technology or software to download.

Files and the messages shared along with them are encrypted, end-to-end. Users simply create an account and begin conducting their business. Learn more at Trustwire.