Secure file management enables businesses to safely store, sort, and transmit sensitive data.
If a malicious entity were to access your files, your business would face significant financial and reputational loss. Implementing methods for secure file management helps mitigate the risks, giving you some peace of mind.
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Why Is Secure File Management Important
A secure file system ensures that data remains accessible only to authorized persons. It also prevents cybercrime, such as information breaches and illegal data access.
Here’s a more detailed explanation to show you why secure file management is important:
- Saves your business from monetary damages – Statista shows that the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is a whopping USD 9.48 million in 2023, up from USD 9.44 million in 2022.
- Builds customer trust – Clients expect you to keep the data you collect private and secure. Exposing personally identifiable information (e.g., social security numbers) and protected health information (e.g., medical history) to outsiders may cause customers to lose trust in your business.
- Keeps you compliant with data privacy laws – The U.S. and specific states have strict data privacy laws. Regulation becomes even more stringent in the healthcare industry with the HIPAA law. Non-compliance can lead to monetary penalties and other legal consequences.
Best Practices for Managing Files Securely
To manage files securely, follow these tips:
Choose a secure file management solution
Your choice of file management system is critical to maintaining data privacy and security. Not all providers offer the same secure solutions and features, so always choose wisely. The software’s affordability may be a primary factor, but other aspects like encryption and compliance with industry regulations must also be taken into account.
Follow password etiquette
Choose a combination of numbers, special characters, and upper and lowercase letters for your password. Select a unique password that you don’t use for other platforms. Also, avoid passwords based on identifying information like birthdays or your name. Always keep your password safe, and don’t share it with anyone.
Backup your files
A reliable file management provider should offer data loss and recovery features. But no matter how secure file management systems are, they can still have vulnerabilities and make mistakes. However, you should always keep a backup of your important files. This ensures that you can recover them if the provider loses your data.
Most Secure File Management Solutions
The best file management platforms offer more security features like activity tracking, audit trails, and encryption.
Here are some of them:
Dropbox Business
Dropbox has become a popular file management solution because it’s easy to use and keeps files organized. But did you know that it also offers a product with more security features? Dropbox Business keeps your files secure and meets legal regulations like HIPAA. Best of all, you can view activity logs in each file, which makes it easy to pinpoint a vulnerability in case of a data breach.
FileCloud
FileCloud is best for enterprises that need a platform to manage files securely. It protects your files from threats and complies with HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST standards. It uses the Zero Trust security framework, allowing files to be shared with read-only or read-write permissions. Zip files can also be created with password protection.
Glasscubes
Glasscubes is one of the highly-rated apps for secure file access. It allows you to store files safely, control file access, and collaborate with your team. Paid account users can request that the secure share link be enabled so they can password-protect files, check who has viewed and shared the files, and revoke the link at any time. Most users love it for ease of use, excellent customer support, and fast onboarding.
pCloud Business
Do you need an affordable app to secure files? Consider pCloud Business. The platform is budget-friendly yet comes with security features many businesses need. It lets you leave comments on the files or folders, so you don’t have to rely on unsecured third-party chat apps. It also promises zero-knowledge privacy, which means it cannot access your files. Users attest that organizing files on the app is a breeze, making it one of our choices for secure file management.
Tresorit
Tresorit is an end-to-end encrypted file management platform for personal and business use. The app values privacy so much that even the Personal plan is GDPR compliant. It also allows you to store and backup files in secure cloud storage. You can also exchange files internally or externally using secure links.
Like pCloud, Tresorit promises it doesn’t have access to your files, unlike other public cloud file management platforms.
