10 Smart Ways To Safely Share Confidential Files Online

It’s said that with today’s modernized world, the need for sharing files through printing or disk sharing has diminished in favor of transferring documents through digital means. If you’re looking for a change from exchanging files personally or on flash drives, the following methods may help you safely share confidential files online.

Choose Faxing Services Wisely

Faxing is often used as a safer and more secure means of transferring sensitive information over the phone lines. However, even with this method, you may still be at risk of interception if the line isn’t secure, giving hackers access to all your files and data.

Thus, if you’re sending business documents that contain very personal identifiers, choose trusted online faxing services that offer security and convenience as part of their client service packages.

Use Cloud Services 

Cloud services are said to be one of the most common ways to share files online. Some of these services are incredibly user-friendly for sharing large files without any hassles. Some can automatically sort your documents by date modified or alphabetical order, making it easy to find the file you’re looking for.

These services also allow users to sync multiple computers with a single account, so you can access the same files on all of your devices. If used properly, this feature wouldn’t require additional users that can put your company’s information at risk.

Use Business-Grade File Sharing Systems

What sets an online business-grade file-sharing system from the rest is its top-notch security features. These services are beneficial when your organization is looking for tips when working on documents within a distributed team to avoid security breaches like identity theft and the like.

This system also allows you to selectively grant access privileges to certain users. Each one can only view or edit the data they need. This is compared to a personal grade sharing system which is limited to a single account and can be more challenging to manage.

If you’re looking for a secure business-grade file-sharing system, there are many to choose from on the market.

Go For Integrated Instead Of Standalone Solutions 

With a standalone solution, you’ll need to go from your computer to the file-sharing site and back again. You may also need to use additional services like cloud storage services. This may not seem like much of a hassle, but it can be tedious if you’re sending multiple files or moving from one site to another. More than that, it can also open you to the danger of losing your information if a particular website goes down or has technical problems.

On the other hand, an integrated solution allows you to directly share files between your business program and the sharing service. For example, you may want to use email services to enable you to send a link to your file. This feature allows you to keep all of your information in one place without transferring it elsewhere first. It may also lead to increased security, reducing the chance for malware to be inadvertently downloaded and executed.

Get Better Passwords 

In today’s world, criminals are believed to have become highly skilled in perpetrating attacks like hacking and identity theft. Thus, it’s advised to use passwords that are hard to guess and frequently change them. You may also use a password generator for creating complex strings of characters that you’ll need when signing up at a new website. Using highly secure passwords is also recommended by many.

It’s also essential to use different passwords for your email, cloud storage, and social media accounts. While such platforms may offer to remember your passwords, which can be convenient, using the same login credentials on every site you visit is unsafe. If criminals get their hands on any of these passwords, they’ll have access to your other accounts.

Some prefer the use of passphrases too. In comparison to passwords, passphrases are longer and more complex. The increased length of a passphrase gives it increased protection from hacking attempts. On the downside, they can be challenging to remember and require creativity when creating them.

Practice Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Sharing Carefully 

The biggest misconception surrounding file sharing is you can just send out the link to anyone. While this may be easier than sending massive files over email, it’s not nearly as safe. The problem with uniform resource locator (URL) sharing is that once you share a link, there’s no guarantee where it may end up.

Although some believe that a simple URL shortening service can encrypt some of your personal information in the process, be careful when using it. It’s because when someone other than the intended user gets access to the link, they could easily take control of your account or steal your information.

Tweak Your Permissions And Preferences  

Before you send out any documents, it’s important to consider who will have access to them. Thus, in some instances, completely forbidding people from editing files without permission is acceptable. Equally, this means it’s fine to not allow them to copy and paste your documents into their own account for safekeeping.

Ditch The Administrator Role If Unnecessary 

Sometimes, it’s good to practice the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP). This principle states that the more limitations your role has, the better it can be for file security.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to disable the administrator role if it isn’t needed. This prevents anyone from being able to delete or edit accounts and files without permission. It also limits their ability to view other users’ accounts, company files, and activities.

Delete Old Files From Your Cloud Storage 

One of the best things about cloud storage is you can keep all of your essential files in one easy-to-access location. Unfortunately, this also means that you’re responsible for deleting them when needed. When it comes time to get rid of these files, make sure that they are completely erased from your account and not just removed from the visitors’ view. This ensures that no traces are left for unauthorized people to use.

Disable Automatic Backup Settings 

If you’re someone who likes to keep their data safe from harm, then you must back up your files. This is where automatic backup settings come in handy. These settings allow specific files on your computer to be copied and stored in a different location while keeping them organized so they’re easily accessible when needed.

However, the biggest issue is that these settings are typically left on by default. This means they continue taking up space without you even knowing. Therefore, the best way to avoid this problem is by disabling automatic backup settings if they aren’t warranted. This ensures that the files will only be stored in one place at a time while freeing up valuable space on your account.

Conclusion 

As a business, it’s essential to constantly work to keep your files protected. This is especially true when you’re sharing links with other people.

When sharing links, always use a URL shortening service and give out more permissions than necessary. It’s also vital that you monitor who has access to your account and delete old files when necessary.

With these safety guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to share links and files without having to worry about the security of your files.