Collaboration within a business is absolutely vital to the workflow of an organization. File sharing and information exchange is a core component of this process and finding a solution that enables effective communication between internal and external partners is the key to successful collaboration. The benefits of a successful collaboration tool are endless, with the most prominent ones being increased productivity and work efficiency, and faster turnaround time. A reliable and usable secure file sharing solution is therefore a necessity in today’s world of growing competition, improving technology, and emerging cyberthreats.
What makes a successful file sharing tool? Although there are many aspects to consider when choosing the best file sharing solution for your firm, we have narrowed down to five key components your solution must have for business in today’s world.
1. Unparalleled Security
No business can survive without their clients. Therefore, the age-old saying of “the customer is first” must apply to every firm. Not only do businesses have to provide their clients with top-notch service, they must also protect their information with utmost discretion. The latter exposes your valuable customers to data breaches and leaked information.
In the 2016 Ponemon Cost of Data Breach Study, it was found that the estimated average total consolidated cost of a data breach reached $4 million, with the average cost incurred for each lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information at $158. Data breaches also result in lost of trust from clients, diminishing clientele, brand devaluation, and costly recovery efforts – all contributing long-term financial losses for the firm.
It is apparent that a file sharing solution must have unparalleled security to secure the success of their business.
2. Unlimited File Size Transfer
File size restrictions, along with any other inconvenience, demotivates internal and external collaborators from using your secure file sharing solution. This causes them to want to offset or circumvent the inconvenience in order to get their work done. This defeats the point of security and continues to expose your firm to cyberthreats.
The perfect file sharing solution must therefore be accommodating, allowing firms to send files of any size securely to any collaborator.
3. Access Control
For sensitive data to be protected, the owner of the information must be able to control access to the data. The owner must be able to grant or deny access to files, control the addition of contacts into file sharing streams, and add or remove files at their own convenience. Without these features, collaborators risk not know who is viewing and accessing their files.
Without the proper access controls in place, files and information can be unknowingly accessed by other parties the sender did not grant access to. This defeats the efforts initially used to safeguard the information.
4. User Adoptability
Tony Abou-Assaleh, President of TitanFile, would always say, “A secure file sharing solution that is difficult to use doesn’t secure anything. People will circumvent it to get their work done.” It is with this core belief that TitanFile was designed – making military-grade security as easy to use as email.
This principle is absolutely necessary for a successful secure file sharing and collaboration tool. A system that is difficult to use or requires extensive on-boarding will be weakly used by internal staff and barely used by external collaborators. It defeats the purpose of even having a secure system in place and it makes communication difficult between internal and external parties.
A solution must therefore be easy to use for all parties, offers reliable support, and requires little to no training.
5. Customization
A brand to a company is to a name to a person. Therefore, a secure file sharing solution that offers customization allows you to be consistent with your clients when collaborating with them. Using a strong and convenient file sharing solution that displays your brand also helps connect positive experiences with your brand and communicate efficiency and quality.
If you enjoyed collaborating with a partner, you are inclined to collaborate with them again. If the process was difficult and tedious, you would not want to collaborate more with them in the future. Therefore, it is vital for you to choose a strong file sharing solution that allows you to incorporate your brand when collaborating with clients.
Still considering secure file sharing options? We have created a checklist of the criteria above to help you determine whether or not your solution meet the appropriate standards in offering your firm the best protection against cyberthreats while improving efficiency in collaboration.
For more information on how to build a culture of cybersecurity at your firm, click here. To learn more about the return on investment on collaboration, click here.