Ebay, Target, Equifax — data breaches happen to even the most successful and seemingly secure companies, and their effects can be damaging. In fact, in 2013 Yahoo was the target of one of the biggest data breaches in history, when a team of hackers compromised nearly 3 billion accounts, exposing sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, email addresses and passwords.

Regardless of the size of your organization, it’s crucial to ensure that your data is protected from hackers — especially when it comes to enterprise file sharing. After all, one of the biggest threats to data security is the way data is sent, received and stored. Here’s how to share files safely and keep your data protected from hackers.

Why Is Enterprise File Sharing Important?

As the landscape of our work environments changes — as more people are working remotely and more businesses are moving to the cloud — our collaboration and productivity increases. However, any time you share files between devices, you’re inviting security risks such as malware infection, data leakage and hacking. These can be a real threat to the reputation and success of your business without the right security measures.

The good news is that a managed services provider (MSP) can offer you the option and support of a cloud-based file syncing system that far surpasses a standard commercial file syncing service. Cloud-based file sharing is much more reliable and secure than the commercial alternative and will keep your data protected from hackers.

How Can a Managed Services Provider Safeguard Your Enterprise File Sharing Solution?

Hackers are always looking for vulnerabilities to take advantage of, but with some proactive measures, your business doesn't have fall victim to their predatory ways. When you partner with a managed services provider, you seal all potential loopholes and ensure that your file sharing processes are protected—here are the benefits you can expect.

1. Accessibility via an assortment of devices. For remote workers, freelancers and employees who conduct business on the go, convenience and mobility is key. An MSP should meet the needs of your mobile workforce so that you can collaborate and communicate in a safe and compliant way — and cloud file sync solutions provided by an MSP will offer just that.
2. Business-class capabilities. An MSP will be able to formulate customized and strict permissions on both user and client levels for how users share and sync their files, such as read-only restrictions or portal-only access, as well as control access with user and client permissions and restrictions.
3. Robust security measures. A secure file sharing solution must meet regulation and encryption standards for files that are shared or stored via the cloud. Lost devices should be able to be wiped clean of data as a standard security measure. Additionally, your MSP should offer high-level access and control permissions at the user, client and group levels.
4. Full compliance with regulations. Especially for industries such as health care and financial services, businesses need to ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations, such as the security and privacy rules of HIPAA. Your MSP can offer a cloud file sync solution designed with data privacy provisions to meet these regulations, as well as encryption measures.
5. A well-documented file-sharing policy. Your MSP should provide you with a file-sharing policy that includes: procedural rules, including dos and don’ts, of file sharing; a requirement that employees must inform the MSP or IT department of any file sharing apps they use; full access for the MSP to regulate and/or block file sharing when needed; and periodic elements to gauge regulatory compliance.

If you’re ready to run your business safely from the cloud, our team of experts at Taylored Systems is here to help. We’ll discuss your IT needs and determine the best cloud-based file sharing solution to streamline your data and keep you safe from security risk. Contact us at Taylored Systems to get started — and get the peace of mind you and your business deserve.