The Key to Secure Remote Collaboration: Encrypted File Sharing

Most people know the intense threat that hackers and other unauthorized individuals pose to sensitive data. Files are more vulnerable to security issues when shared and accessed by multiple employees or people working on the same project. That’s where encrypted file sharing can help by adding an extra layer of security. This form of encryption exchanges external and internal data by encoding the information to protect its integrity during transmission.

Some apps and services provide free end-to-end encryption during chats and small file sharing, so both users use the same app or service. Companies that are working on large shared projects on a remote basis usually get their encryption services from a private provider.

Remote work presents special security challenges. One of the most significant issues is file servers. Since the business world scrambled to survive the jump from traditional offices to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, security procedures and safeguards were often neglected in favor of getting remote employees up and functional as soon as possible.

File servers are critical for remote work environments but are also a primary target of hackers. When these servers lack the proper protection, things can start to go south the moment the wrong person sets sight on them. For this reason, encrypted file sharing is a must for offsite workers and their projects.

Security Concerns with Traditional File-Sharing Methods in Remote Work

Secure file sharing is nothing new. It’s existed in the office environment for quite some time. However, when remote work was adopted en masse recently, it highlighted a worrying fact. Traditional data protection techniques frequently fail to overcome several vulnerabilities in remote work. For example, just some of the new variables that remote work introduces that complicate security include these:

• staff using personal devices for work;
• IoT devices;
• unsecured personal home networks; and
• employees needing a better understanding of the most common cyber threats and which security habits they should practice.

The old ways can be helpful but are often time-consuming to maintain and implement. Even worse, they can be hard to understand for those who do not have cybersecurity experience. One example is private key infrastructure (PKI). But that’s not the only issue with PKI. IT support can also become a nightmare when the network of remote workers is spread across the globe and the security of their locations is questionable.

Another example of older methods crumbling under the ever-growing pressure of online threats involves file-sharing services. One of the most popular and well-known is Dropbox. On the plus side, Dropbox relies on encryption to guard user data. But the service also holds encryption keys, and if their servers are hacked and the keys become known to unauthorized persons, then all the files belonging to their users will also be compromised.

Benefits of Encrypted File Sharing for Remote Employees

There’s no doubt about it: Data encryption has become the best security protocol in modern times. But why is it so important? In short, encrypted file sharing is critical to every business today because it enables them to protect their sensitive data by converting it into unreadable text requiring a unique encryption key. This tactic makes it almost impossible for unauthorized people to hack into, steal, and use the data. Only the correct key can unlock the code and read the file.

Most remote workers need to become more familiar with security protocols, but they want to get on with the job they were hired for in the first place, whether it’s designing, advertising, marketing, or something else. Knowing that the files they create or rely upon are safe brings them more peace of mind and a better, professional working environment. In a nutshell, when constant worries over the consequences of a security breach disappear, productivity and workflow should improve for remote workers. This, in turn, leads to a happier workforce and higher-quality results for projects.

There is no limit to who can enjoy the security of encrypted file sharing. It’s open to every type of business, professional, and entrepreneur. Even those who don’t fall into these categories and wish to keep their files and messages more secure can also benefit from this method of sending data. Using encrypted file-sharing solutions, businesses can avoid costly data breaches and safeguard their reputations.

Encrypted file sharing is a trusted method to keep companies safe from minor security breaches and more devastating hacker attacks, some of which can do untold damage. Hackers and other cybercriminals will not go away anytime soon, and they are always finding more innovative ways to get their hands on sensitive data. For this reason, encrypted file sharing remains a frontline defense against such individuals.

John Svoboda is vice president of marketing for AXEL Go, one of the most secure encrypted file sharing, file management, and cloud storage solutions available to the public to collect, store, and share files. Svoboda has more than 25 years of marketing and advertising experience at top agencies and large corporations. Svoboda is actively involved in developing a branding strategy to drive data awareness as the key to data security.