There are many ways bad actors will breach the security systems we have in place to protect our data. Luckily, these are predictable and completely avoidable. There is a handful of file-sharing best practices that will all but ensure that your data is never lost in a security breach ever again.
Types of secure file sharing
Link-based sharing
Link-based file-sharing is one of the latest innovations when it comes to file sharing. By using link-based file sharing, you can generate a secure file-sharing session that is entirely within your control. Beyond being incredibly secure and customizable, link-based file shares make sharing large files easier than ever before.
Encrypted File Sharing
Encrypted file sharing has become the norm in many places, but it is easy to stray outside of the protection of encrypted file sharing if you aren’t aware of the security systems your preferred file-sharing method has in place. Email attachments, for example, are not always encrypted from end to end, so sharing personally identifying information via email attachments can often be a massive security risk.
What is the importance of sharing files securely?
Sharing files securely is perhaps the only way to maintain your safety online. We are sharing an ever-increasing number of sensitive files over the internet, and one unsecured wi-fi connection is enough to expose many of us to identity theft or worse.
Business conducted online must adhere to file-sharing practices. When operating remotely with colleagues and clients, there is more on the line than your own data. We are often entrusted with incredibly important data like bank information, social security numbers, and personal photographs. Every industry has a solemn duty to protect the data of its clients.
Common best practices for secure file sharing
- Look for decentralization: Decentralized file management systems are an incredible method for protecting files while maintaining access under a wide range of inclement conditions. With decentralization, files are stored on a widely-distributed network of secure servers. Each of these servers will host either a fraction of the deposited data or a copy of one of these fragments. This creates redundancies that protect your data from corruption and data breaches alike. Unlike traditionally centralized data servers, a decentralized service will deter attacks because bad actors will only have access to a fragment of the available data, leaving them empty-handed.
- Encrypt your files: Encryption is the name of the game. We depend on data encryption online. When bad actors breach file servers or siphon data off of a wi-fi connection, they are looking for unencrypted data. Should you lose a large encrypted file to a bad actor, proper encryption will present them with a garbled mess of junk data. Encryption acts as both a deterrent and a secondary line of defense.
- Stay ahead of the curve: File-sharing is a constantly evolving industry. it is easy to take the ability to send and receive files from machine to machine, but a lot of computer science goes into protecting that data. Look out for innovations in file security, this will keep bad actors on their toes and make you less likely to fall prey to a wide-reaching security breach.
File sharing security risks
- Release of sensitive data: When bad actors steal data, they are on the prowl for compromising data. Files left unattended on an email server or data that has been intercepted in transit are gold mines of personally identifying information.
- Opportunity for attacks: Unsecured methods of file sharing leave openings in a security ecosystem. When a bad actor finds vulnerabilities, they use those to further infect a system with malware in order to glean further information. Unsecure file-sharing is a telltale sign that a system is ripe for the picking.
Say hello to secure file management
AXEL Go sits at the forefront of secure file management. We use Web3 technology to create a network of decentralized, heavily encrypted servers. Our link-based sharing allows users to create custom expiration dates and personalized passwords to ensure that their files never fall into the wrong hands. Our end-to-end encryption protects files whether they’re on our servers or in transit to a client after a successful photoshoot.
Try AXEL Go for free and see how truly simple security can be.
