Are You Risking Your Security When Sharing Files?

Sharing files is essential to business, but are your files shared securely? Without the proper security measures in place file sharing can introduce risks of hacking, malware and loss or exposure of sensitive information.

Do your employees engage in risky file sharing habits? Here are a few to watch out for and what you can do about it.

Email

Email is the way many of us share files, but it is one of the least secure. Ever sent an email to the wrong person by mistake? If it’s an email confirming dinner plans, that’s one thing….if it’s an email containing confidential information, that could be a very big deal. Emails also live in different locations….on your devices, the network where your email is hosted, and the email service provider’s server where they physically store your email. If a hacker gains access to any of these locations they can easily access all of your stored emails and attachments.

Social Media

Social media is a fantastic tool for networking and connecting with potential clients. However, sending files and sharing sensitive data over it opens your business up to hacking. Set clear social media policies for your team that limit what information employees can share via social media to minimize this risk.

External Devices

Whether it’s a USB flash drive or an employee’s phone, if your data is stored on a personal device, you’re at risk for losing control of that data. If the device is lost, stolen or used on an unsecured network, your data could be accessed. When an employee leaves the company, you may also not get your data back.

Before letting anyone use their own devices, establish a policy and limit personal devices only to those employees who truly need that kind of access. Keep records of all employees who are using a personal device for business purposes.

Cloud Sharing

One of the most popular, and most secure, ways to share files is via cloud file sharing services. Many of these, such as Dropbox and OneDrive, are designed with businesses in mind. Ease of use, features and encryption make cloud sharing a good choice. However, it’s still important to make sure employees are trained on how to use the software and are up to date on best practices for file sharing, including password protection.

File sharing is essential, but it can also be risky. By educating your team on the safest ways to share information, you can reduce your risk and keep your data secure.

Talk to us about our secure data sharing solutions! We can help keep your critical business data protected.