When we were all in the office, many of us were connected to the office network. We didn't need to think much about file sharing. But now that we're scattered across the landscape, sharing important files securely can take careful planning. Here's why you might want to use powerful file sharing services to share sensitive files securely, so you can collaborate better, no matter where you work.
Probably the easiest way to share a file is to attach a document to an email, Slack, or other instant message. But in any case, it creates problems on several fronts. If you rely too much on your email or email system, your improperly archived files might become accessible to prying hackers with phishing lures. If you're sharing traditional documents this way, you might also quickly find yourself playing the "who's got the latest version" game. It's hard to keep up with updates when multiple people are working on the same document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
While built-in collaboration tools like Google Workspace or Microsoft OneDrive (or something equivalent based on your email identity) may solve the version control problem – and may be your only option if your company insists – they can get cumbersome as your team expands beyond your office domain. You could inadvertently share the document with people who shouldn't see it or lock someone who needs to access it. The more complicated you make your sharing situation, the greater the chance of error where the world (or perhaps family members) accesses your files. We've all seen news stories where a database or collection of documents fell into the wrong hands because someone didn't apply the proper security. Some companies won't take the risk:with one of my clients, I had to get a new email address on their domain to share their Google Docs.
Besides Google Workspace and OneDrive, there are more than a dozen different providers of personal file sharing services, including Apple's Dropbox, Box, and iCloud. Many of them are free or almost free for minimal use. But if you're considering these services, everyone in your sharing circle must use two-factor authentication (like Authy) to access them, not just a username and password. Even so, they're often second-rate when it comes to user experience (Dropbox's collaboration features can be confusing, iCloud and Windows have a complicated relationship, and Box's file preview feature doesn't make a big deal of it). good work). They are fine for one-time sharing or sharing files on your own devices, but not my preferred solution.
Instead, you should consider an enterprise-grade cloud-based file-sharing service that adds more layers of protection by encrypting your data and has privacy control. refined access. Egnyte, SecureDocs, ShareFile and SugarSync are just a few of the more popular services; here is a table with a rough comparison of their cost and what they offer to start with:
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Whichever one you choose, here's what to look for when looking for a secure file sharing service:
Many of these products have free trials (of the ones I mentioned above, all but SugarSync don't require any payment details), and you can use these periods to evaluate them. Asking yourself these questions should also help you choose:
Using any enterprise sharing service will require some tweaking, but I believe they are worth it for the added peace of mind, better security, and collaborative features.
