SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
π 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
sponsored by 
An Osterman Research White Paper 
Published September 2014 
SPONSORED BY 
Osterman Research, Inc. 
P.O. Box 1058 • Black Diamond, Washington • 98010-1058 • USA 
Tel: +1 253 630 5839 • Fax: +1 253 458 0934 • info@ostermanresearch.com 
www.ostermanresearch.com • twitter.com/mosterman 
sponsored by 
WHITE PAPER 
SPON 
SPON 
sponsored by 
sponsored by 
sponsored by
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 1 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Information workers need to share files as part of their work and do so regularly. File 
sharing is so common, in fact, that Osterman Research surveys have found that one 
in four emails contains an attachment, and 98% of the bits that flow through the 
typical email system are files that are being shared with others. 
However, file-sharing practices today are fraught with excess cost and risk: 
• Using email to share files results in a lack of control over how content is sent, 
how it is tracked, and how many copies are distributed throughout an 
organization. Moreover, email systems do not permit senders to control who has 
access to this content or for how long it can be accessed. 
• Traditional FTP systems are inefficient and contribute to the potential for data 
leaks because users share passwords and content can be left on FTP servers 
indefinitely, many times for years. 
• Consumer-focused file sync and share solutions, such as Dropbox, are popular 
and generally work as designed. However, most Dropbox accounts are managed 
by individual employees, not their employer, which puts organizations at risk of 
data spoliation, data breaches, or an inability to find data when needed. These 
tools generally do not offer monitoring, tracking, audit trails, or other essential 
file-sharing features. 
The result is that most file sharing is inefficient, too expensive, too risky, and puts 
organizations at a significant disadvantage in the context of managing their legal, 
regulatory, and best practice obligations. 
It is also noteworthy that most organizations don’t think they’re managing their file-sharing 
processes well. An Osterman Research survey conducted in August 2014 
found that, when asked to grade their management of file sharing in the context of 
best practices for information security and good information governance, only 9% of 
survey respondents gave their organization an “A.” Forty-two percent gave their 
organizations a “B,” while a plurality – 44% – gave themselves a “C.” 
KEY TAKEAWAY 
To eliminate these risks and put IT back in control of the file-sharing process, 
organizations of all sizes should implement an enterprise-grade file sync and share 
capability that will meet the dual needs of: a) enabling employees to have access to 
all of their files from any device, and b) enabling IT to control the organization’s 
critical data assets. 
ABOUT THIS WHITE PAPER 
This white paper discusses the current problem with file sync and share practices and 
the results of a survey conducted for this paper in early August 2014. It provides 
some recommendations for what decision-makers should consider as they implement 
a file sync and share capability. The paper also provides a brief overview of its 
sponsors: Citrix, Cleo, and ownCloud. 
FILE SHARING TODAY 
THE DE FACTO FILE-SHARING SOLUTIONS IN USE TODAY 
In most organizations, email has become the de facto file transport system. As shown 
in Figure 1, virtually all of the organizations surveyed employ email to transfer files. 
However, the traditional method of file transfer, FTP, is also widely used, as are 
various cloud-based file sync and share tools. Our research also found that 
enterprise-grade file transfer solutions are not yet widely deployed. 
Organizations of 
all sizes should 
implement an 
enterprise-grade 
file sync and 
share capability.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 2 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
Figure 1 
Capabilities Employed for File Transfer 
% of Organizations in Which Capability is Used 
Source: Osterman Research, Inc. 
REASONS FOR THE DOMINANCE OF EMAIL FOR FILE 
TRANSFER 
Email owes its dominance in the file transfer space to four primary attributes that 
make it well suited as a communications and collaboration platform: 
• Email is the most important single application employed by most information 
workers. 
• Almost all email clients, including many Webmail systems, allow drag-and-drop 
of files into email messages. This is an essential element of the ease-of-use 
experience. 
• Virtually all email systems are built to industry standards and offer users a high 
degree of assurance that emails can be received and opened by any recipient. 
• Almost every computing platform has an email client or other access to corporate 
email, making it a nearly universally available platform for sending files. 
As a result, email has become the default method for sending files in almost every 
organization. While other tools are used to send electronic files, email continues to be 
the main platform that individuals use to send content. 
IMPORTANT TRENDS IN FILE SHARING 
Various file sync and share tools are widely used, including Dropbox, Google Drive, 
Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and many others. These tools enable 
employees to access files from any platform and send large files to others. Most of 
these tools are cloud-based and offer various tiers of storage – many vendors employ 
a “freemium” model that provides anywhere from two to 15 gigabytes of storage per 
account at no charge. A testament to the growth of the file sync and share market is 
the significant number of new entrants into this space and the number of acquisitions 
that have occurred over the past two years. 
Email has 
become the 
default method 
for sending files 
in almost every 
organization.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 3 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
Corporate data security is becoming more critical at the same time, evidenced by the 
increasing importance of preventing data breaches. Motivated by an increasing 
number of compliance regulations, as well as growing concerns over data leaks and 
corporate data governance, IT is pushing for more visibility into how employees are 
transferring content and the types of content that are sent inside and outside the 
organization. 
Moreover, as companies, business partners, and members of corporate workgroups 
become more geographically distributed as a result of telework schemes and 
increased reliance on business partnerships, there is a growing need to improve the 
reliability and ease of sharing critical documents, both for manual transfer of content 
and for integration with automated business processes. 
The importance of telework should not be underestimated. Employees and 
contractors are becoming more geographically distributed as organizations of all sizes 
implement telework programs to reduce the costs of rent and other expenses 
associated with providing employees with office space. As a result, employees who 
can no longer work together physically now rely more on document sharing by email 
and file sync and share tools in order to collaborate on projects. 
Closely related is the growing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), Bring Your Own 
Applications (BYOA), and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) trends among employees 
who increasingly use personally owned capabilities to do their work. For example, 
Osterman Research has found that the majority of Apple iPhone and Android 
smartphones in the workplace today are personally owned, suggesting that most 
organizations have simply accepted the BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC “deployment” 
models as the norm. 
THE STATUS QUO IS NOT OPTIMAL 
THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WHEN EMAIL IS USED FOR 
FILE SHARING 
Email was designed as a communication tool, not as a file-sharing or collaboration 
system. However, email has become the de facto file-sharing system in most 
organizations. The result is that its use for transporting the majority of files in most 
organizations leads to a variety of problems. For example, as shown in Figure 2 (on 
page 4), more than one-half of organizations report a variety of problems associated 
with managing email systems that are directly attributable to its use as a file 
transport platform. Further, even problems that are identified by fewer than one-half 
of organizations as serious still pose threats to email system uptime and the ability to 
maintain the integrity of sensitive or confidential content. 
When using email as a file-sharing system, corporate governance for corporate data 
can be seriously lacking. An important aspect of this lack of corporate governance is 
that performing audits on or delivery verification of content sent to others via email is 
difficult, if not impossible. For example, if a user attaches a time-sensitive document 
to an email, normally the only way to verify its delivery is to send another email or 
contact the recipient in some other way. Most email systems do not have the ability 
to track the flow of content from sender to recipient throughout the entire transfer 
process. 
Other problems can occur when using email for file sharing: 
• Loss of employee productivity because of more frequent email system downtime 
incidents, as well as longer downtime incidents because of the large volume of 
data that must be restored after a system downtime. 
• Poor email server performance because of the large volume of email that 
contains attachments and so constrains bandwidth and consumes an inordinate 
proportion of email server CPU cycles. 
Email was 
designed as a 
communication 
tool, not as a file-sharing 
or 
collaboration 
system.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 4 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
• Significant duplication of files when the same attachment is sent to multiple 
parties. This alone can contribute significantly to the bloat of storage on email 
servers, on backups, and in email archives. Moreover, duplication of files makes 
it more difficult and expensive to find relevant content during early case 
assessments, eDiscovery, or a regulatory audit. 
Figure 2 
Problems in Managing Email Systems 
% Responding a Serious or Very Serious Problem 
Problem % 
Growth in messaging storage 46% 
Increasing message size 45% 
Enforcing an email retention / deletion policy 43% 
Excessively large mail stores on the server 43% 
Increasing backup and restore times 41% 
Use of email for sending files 39% 
Users sending attachments that are too large 37% 
Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, malware, etc. 35% 
Managing spam 36% 
Storage costs 35% 
Software licensing costs 34% 
Users sending confidential data improperly 33% 
Supporting legal or compliance in searching for content 30% 
Backups take too long 28% 
Users pestering IT about mailbox-size quotas 25% 
Total cost of ownership 24% 
Lack of network bandwidth 22% 
Complying with regulations like HIPAA, SOX, etc. 21% 
Reliability/uptime of email servers 19% 
Performance/speed of email servers 17% 
Employees’ personal use of corporate email 16% 
Finding qualified IT personnel to manage email systems 16% 
Denial-of-service attacks 14% 
Scalability 15% 
Time required for managing email server software 11% 
IT having difficulty meeting service-level agreements 8% 
Source: Osterman Research, Inc. 
EXISTING SOLUTIONS OFTEN DO NOT MEET CORPORATE OR 
USER REQUIREMENTS 
There are various other file sharing–related problems faced by organizations that 
need to share information electronically: 
• IT typically lacks control over content because most of this content is sent 
through email, non-secure file sync and share tools, or other non-secure means. 
While many consumer-focused solutions like Dropbox work as intended, they 
often lack the IT-focused functionality needed to centrally manage corporate 
content. While IT is often responsible for corporate governance, it lacks the 
ability to fully control the flow of information sent through non-secure tools, 
particularly when employees are in control of their own accounts. Moreover, IT 
has little visibility into content sent via means other than email, such as cloud-based 
file-sharing tools, physical delivery, USB drives, personal Webmail, etc. 
Indicating just how much corporate decision-makers are concerned about file 
transfer of files through tools like Dropbox, Figure 3 demonstrates that four of
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 5 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
five organizations have at least some level of concern with the use of these 
widely deployed tools. 
Figure 3 
IT Management’s Concern About the Use of Employee-Managed Services 
Source: Osterman Research, Inc. 
• Most file-sharing systems do not permit centralized search and discovery of 
corporate content. For example, information that might be needed for an 
eDiscovery effort or a regulatory audit may be difficult or impossible to find when 
stored in cloud-based file sync and share tools that are managed by employees. 
Moreover, the distribution of data among the various file-sharing solutions that 
might be in use in an organization – and the inaccessibility of these content 
stores to the IT or legal department charged with finding it – is a very serious 
problem when quick turn-around times are required. 
• The FTP systems deployed in most organizations – used in 50% of organizations, 
as shown in Figure 1 (on page 2) – are quite useful for sending large files, but 
they have two serious drawbacks: First, FTP solutions in many organizations lack 
robust security because users often share login credentials. Second, the content 
on FTP systems is normally left unmanaged and unattended after files are sent, 
creating corporate governance problems and greater potential for data breaches. 
The latter problem is typically the more serious, since this can result in access to 
sensitive or confidential content by unauthorized parties over long periods. 
• Another serious problem with FTP is its reliability. Because FTP cannot inherently 
recover from an error, it does not send an alert when a problem has occurred. 
Further, FTP may not reliably transfer very large files in some situations, nor 
maximize bandwidth usage, sending files at a lower speed than the available 
bandwidth would allow. This means not only that file transfers take longer than 
necessary, but that the value of the purchased bandwidth is sometimes not 
being realized. 
• Many organizations have deployed Microsoft SharePoint to deal with content 
management issues, including file sharing. While SharePoint is a useful tool, our 
research has found it to require a significant investment of time and other IT 
resources to manage properly. If SharePoint is to be used primarily as a glorified 
Most file-sharing 
systems do not 
permit 
centralized 
search and 
discovery of 
corporate 
content.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 6 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
file share, it definitely represents an “overkill” approach to the problem of 
sharing content. 
• Managing file-sharing solutions can be a time-consuming effort for IT staff. If 
FTP systems are used, then IT must manage these servers and deal with user 
issues as they arise. If email is used for transferring files, then IT must spend 
time dealing with email problems caused by mailbox quotas being exceeded. 
• The majority of emails and attachments are sent without any encryption. This 
increases the potential for data breaches and the risk of non-compliance with a 
number of legal and regulatory obligations to protect sensitive data in transit and 
at rest. Because 46 US states now have data-breach notification laws and two US 
states have enacted statutes that require the encryption of certain content types 
when sent intra-state, file transfers that contain sensitive information must be 
encrypted. Moreover, many countries around the world have strict data 
sovereignty laws. Data encryption helps organizations to meet their various 
national and global compliance obligations. 
• Most users will send files electronically, but some users faced with the need to 
transfer very large files or large numbers of files will sometimes burn a CD-ROM 
or DVD-ROM and send it via physical delivery. This not only decreases the 
security of transferring files but also increases corporate costs. 
• Moreover, it is difficult to control this content once it leaves the enterprise. Many 
industries such as healthcare, financial services and legal require content to be 
managed through its entire lifecycle. For example, at the end of a legal case, 
lawyers are required to purge sensitive content provided to expert witnesses 
such as medical records. This is difficult to confirm if a company mails out a CD 
or DVD. It is much easier to revoke access to content (and track that) from an 
enterprise file sync and share service. 
LOOSENING IT CONTROL OVER CORPORATE DATA AND FILE-SHARING 
PRACTICES 
Organizations have traditionally relied on end users to decide what information 
should be kept, what should be deleted, where information should be stored, and for 
how long it should be retained. Consequently, roughly three-quarters of corporate 
data today is generated and controlled by individual employees. In most cases, this 
practice is ineffective and causes what many refer to as “covert” or “underground 
archiving,” in which individuals end up keeping everything in their own unmanaged 
storage repositories or archives, such as cloud-based storage systems or local .PST 
files. These underground archives effectively lock most of the organization’s 
information away, hidden from everyone else in the organization, and give birth to 
the phenomenon called “dark data”—an underground of unmanaged, uncontrolled, 
and unstructured data. Inexpensive, cloud-based storage has only served to 
exacerbate the problem of dark data. 
The problem is most evident in the widespread and growing use of file sync and 
share tools. While these tools are useful for individual users, they allow corporate 
policies, legal requirements and regulatory obligations to be circumvented, creating a 
serious information governance problem. The net result is that while employees 
become more empowered, IT’s control over corporate data gets reduced. This is not 
a necessary balance but a common one nonetheless. 
IS DATA REALLY DELETED? 
Another important issue for corporate decision-makers – and a growing problem as 
employees manage more data on personally owned devices and in cloud-based data 
stores—is the problem of data not really being deleted. For example, corporate data 
that is stored on an employee’s personal smartphone might not be deleted when that 
employee leaves the company or loses his or her device. An Osterman Research 
Underground 
archives 
effectively lock 
most of the 
organization’s 
information 
away, hidden 
from everyone 
else in the 
organization, and 
give birth to the 
phenomenon 
called “dark 
data”.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 7 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
survey on BYOD issues conducted during August 20141 found that only 83% of 
personally owned smartphones can be remotely wiped by IT. Another Osterman 
Research survey conducted in June 2014 found that 84% of information workers who 
used Dropbox in a previous job still had access to the same account – many times 
housing their previous employer’s information – in their current job. 
However, the problem extends to cloud providers themselves, since some providers 
do not necessarily delete customer data even after the customer has deleted it. For 
example, Google’s privacy policy states that, “…after you delete information from our 
services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and 
may not remove information from our backup systems.2” Dropbox states that it 
“…saves all deleted files for 30 days…3” 
These issues create serious control problems for organizations that must maintain 
strict control of their corporate data. 
THE CONSUMERIZATION OF IT IS AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM 
The concepts of BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC – which are part of the larger trend toward 
the consumerization of IT – are simple: Employees use their own devices, apps and 
cloud-based services to access corporate content and other resources like email, 
databases, and various applications. It is essential to note that the consumerization 
of IT covers a wide front: It includes social technologies, cloud-based tools to access 
content in a faster and easier way, and more consumer-oriented expectations within 
the workplace. The popularity of the consumerization trend is evident in the large 
proportion of mobile phones used in the workplace, the growing number of mobile 
apps used to create and access corporate content, and the widespread use of file 
sync and share tools. 
CORPORATE RISK IS INCREASING 
Among the various risks associated with the IT consumerization phenomenon in 
general – and file sync and share in particular – are: 
• Inadequate content management 
Content created and stored in Dropbox, for example, is less accessible to the 
organization at large. This makes it more difficult for the organization to know 
the content it has available for eDiscovery or regulatory audits, increases the 
difficulty of accessing this data when required, and makes content retention 
more difficult. The lack of an audit trail in most file sync and share solutions 
contributes to the serious risk associated with their use in a corporate 
environment. This can lead to a greater risk of evidence spoliation, greater risks 
in satisfying regulatory obligations, and more difficulty in managing content 
retention periods. The problem is magnified when employees leave a company 
and do not provide access to the corporate data in their personal accounts 
before they leave. 
• Security risks 
An employee who uses a file-sharing application to sync corporate content for 
use on a home computer and inadvertently infects one or more files with 
malware in the process can introduce this threat to the corporate network when 
syncing files. This is a critical issue that can wreak havoc for corporate security 
staff, lead to loss of data, or create a variety of other problems. Related to this is 
the increased risk of data breaches from content that is sent unencrypted 
through file sync and share tools. 
• Regulatory or legal sanctions 
Inadequate record-keeping or supervision can result in a number of regulatory or 
1 BYOD Market Trends Through 2016, Osterman Research, Inc. 
2 http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/ 
3 https://www.dropbox.com/help/969 
Among the 
various risks 
associated with 
the IT 
consumerization 
phenomenon in 
general – and file 
sync and share in 
particular – is the 
inability for 
organizations to 
manage their 
content 
adequately.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 8 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
legal sanctions. Personally managed content is treated as a form of electronic 
communication by courts and regulators and so is subject to the same rules as 
those for email. Thus, organizations must take into account regulatory rules and 
eDiscovery guidelines when devising their BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC policies and 
procedures. 
• Unauthorized exposure of data 
Another risk, and one that is on the increase as a result of government access to 
private information, is the potential for content sent through unmanaged file 
sync and share tools to be exposed as part of government data-gathering 
programs. This could result in corporate data being subject to subpoena or 
otherwise exposed despite the intent of file sync and share service providers to 
protect their customers’ data. 
RISKS LEAD TO COSTS 
All of these risks can lead to direct and/or indirect costs. For example, an inability to 
produce all necessary data during a legal action or a regulatory audit can result in 
fines or other sanctions. Having data scattered across the organization in personal 
file-sharing accounts can require extra IT staff or legal staff time to find and process. 
Malware such as a keystroke logger that is introduced into an organization through 
an unmanaged file-sharing application can result in the loss of finances (e.g., through 
exfiltration of funds from a corporate bank account), loss of intellectual property, or a 
data breach. 
There are various ways of quantifying these costs, although the example below takes 
a quantitative business analysis approach to estimating them. For example, let’s 
assume that the use of non-secure file-sharing solutions will result in the following 
potential risks and costs: 
• Spoliation of data in a lawsuit: A 2.0% likelihood each year of a $200,000 
sanction for losing data. 
• Introduction of malware: A 2.5% likelihood each year of losing $250,000 as a 
result of a single malware incident. 
• A data breach of just 5,000 records: A 4.0% likelihood each year of incurring 
remediation costs of $200 per record. 
Multiplying the likelihood of each incident by the cost of the event actually occurring 
results in a total annual cost of $50,250. However, it’s important to note that these 
are rather conservative estimates (a 2.0% chance equates to a single incident only 
once every 50 years), both for the likelihood of each event occurring and its potential 
financial impact – the costs could be dramatically higher. 
BEST PRACTICES FOR EVALUATING FILE-SHARING 
SOLUTIONS 
Osterman Research recommends a number of best practices that decision-makers 
should consider as they plan a migration from the collection of unmanaged file sync 
and share solutions in their organization to an enterprise-grade file sync and share 
capability: 
• Focus on ease of use 
Enterprise-grade file-sharing solutions must compete against the growing 
number of easy-to-use, consumer-focused file sync and share tools like Dropbox, 
Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, and other tools to which users 
have become accustomed and upon which they depend to improve their 
productivity. As a result, an enterprise-grade file-sharing solution must be simple 
to use and have a pleasing interface if IT expects users to employ it. Regardless 
One of the most 
important 
differentiators 
between 
consumer and 
enterprise file 
sync and share is 
the primary 
controller of the 
information 
stored in these 
tools.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 9 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
of how much IT dictates that users stop using their favorite file sync and share 
tool or attempts to force the use of alternatives that are less appealing, users will 
not use a tool if they don’t want to. 
• Consider how data is to be managed 
There are two basic approaches to file sync and share: Move data into specific 
repositories, either on-premises and/or in the cloud, or leave the data in its 
original location but still share it securely. Either approach can be used to 
manage data securely. The decision will depend on the particular IT architecture 
that an organization employs, its preference for storing data in the cloud or 
behind the corporate firewall, the regulatory environment that dictates where 
data can be stored, and other factors. 
• Focus heavily on corporate governance 
Establishing corporate governance of data is becoming a more serious issue as 
state, provincial, and national governments focus on stopping breaches of 
sensitive and confidential data. Because data breaches have been on the 
increase, we expect that laws and corporate policies designed to govern data 
more effectively will become stricter in the future. Because of this, robust file 
sync and share solutions that will be able to satisfy governance requirements 
must become a higher priority. 
• Put IT back in control of the file-sharing process 
One of the most important differentiators between consumer and enterprise file 
sync and share is the primary controller of the information stored in these tools. 
In a consumer-centric IT approach, individual employees are in charge of the 
corporate data, thereby introducing the risks discussed earlier in this paper. In 
an enterprise-centric approach to file sync and share, IT is in charge. 
Implementing a solution focusing on the latter is essential because it minimizes 
risk, ensures that corporate policies are implemented and enforced, and allows 
appropriate control over sensitive and confidential corporate data. 
A key element in putting IT back in control of the file sync and share process is 
the ability to reign in consumer-focused file sync and share solutions as part of 
the rollout of the enterprise-grade capability. This ensures that users don’t end 
up using both. 
• Consider the deployment options 
The majority of consumer file sync and share solutions are managed in the 
cloud. Enterprise-grade solutions, on the other hand, typically permit the option 
of cloud storage of content, on-premises storage, or a combination of both. 
Moreover, if an organization opts for cloud storage, the decision to use public 
storage in a shared, multi-tenant environment should be considered relative to a 
private cloud approach that is normally more secure. There is not necessarily a 
“right” approach to enterprise-grade file sync and share, although highly 
sensitive data should, in many cases, be left on-premises or, if in the cloud, 
managed using a private-cloud model. 
• Focus on the lifecycle of corporate data 
Enterprise-grade file sync and share solutions include the ability to manage data 
throughout its lifecycle. Unlike most email and FTP systems in which content is 
mostly unmanaged after being sent, enterprise-grade file sync and share 
solutions will allow content to be managed by senders and by IT with capabilities 
such as making the content available only for a limited time or allowing its access 
only by authorized parties. This makes data breaches less likely and will improve 
IT’s ability to manage data in accordance with regulatory, legal, and corporate 
policy requirements. 
• Ensure that essential capabilities are included 
The requirements for any enterprise-grade file sync and share solution will vary 
based on the particular needs of the organization, but should include several key 
Enterprise-grade 
file sync and 
share solutions 
include the 
ability to manage 
data throughout 
its lifecycle.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 10 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
elements, such as: 
o The ability to track files and create an audit trail of all information managed 
with the solution. 
o The ability to integrate with existing backup, archiving, monitoring, 
authentication, security, enterprise mobility management and other 
solutions. 
o The ability to integrate with or provide messaging capabilities along with file 
transfer. 
o Robust access controls that include highly granular permissions control. 
o Virus and malware scanning. 
o The ability for content to be accessed easily from mobile devices. 
o Robust encryption. 
o Tampering prevention. 
Finally, solutions should be highly scalable, require a minimum of IT effort to 
manage, and require very little training so that new users can get up to speed 
quickly. 
• Consider integrated solutions 
Many organizations will want to consider their deployment of a secure file-sharing 
solution in conjunction with a secure email capability because of the 
synergy between the two solutions. A few vendors offer integrated secure file-sharing 
and secure email capabilities, allowing both to be managed together.
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 11 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
SPONSORS OF THIS WHITE PAPER 
Citrix ShareFile is a secure enterprise file sync and sharing service that meets the 
mobility and collaboration needs of users and the data security requirements of the 
enterprise. ShareFile is offered as a standalone product or as part of a broader 
enterprise mobility management solution known as XenMobile Enterprise. 
Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leader in mobile workspaces, providing virtualization, 
mobility management, networking, and cloud services to enable new ways to work 
better. Citrix solutions power business mobility through secure, personal workspaces 
that provide people with instant access to apps, desktops, data, and communications 
on any device, over any network and cloud. This year Citrix is celebrating 25 years of 
innovation, making IT simpler and people more productive. With annual revenue in 
2013 of $2.9 billion, Citrix solutions are in use at more than 330,000 organizations 
and by over 100 million users globally. Learn more at www.citrix.com. 
Cleo makes it easy for companies to move data both within their enterprise and 
beyond —– and to view data insights and act earlier with informed decisions. With 
over 35 years of experience and over 100,000 proven and tested installations 
worldwide, Cleo offers enterprise integration software solutions that are exceptionally 
easy to install and use. Cleo has solutions for enterprise- managed file transfer, 
enterprise file synchronization and sharing, network fax, and dynamic interactive 
voice and text messaging. 
Cleo solutions handle the most comprehensive requirements of enterprise and multi-enterprise 
integration and include a library of over 800 preconfigured secure 
connections to speed your implementation. Regardless of the size or complexity of 
your integration needs, Cleo has the right solution for you. 
ownCloud helps enterprises concerned about sensitive data leakage deliver a secure 
file sync and share solution on site, on their storage, integrated with their 
infrastructure and security systems, managed to their policies. The result is an easy-to- 
use solution that provides complete control over sensitive corporate data. 
ownCloud integrates seamlessly into existing user directories, governance, security, 
monitoring, storage and back-up tools — becoming part of the existing infrastructure 
and allowing IT to leave data where it is. And because ownCloud is open -source and 
open by nature, plug-in apps exist to extend ownCloud out of the box, enabling 
LDAP/AD integration, file versioning, file sharing, external file system mounts, and 
much more. Your Cloud. Your Data. Your Way. 
For more information visit www.owncloud.com. 
www.citrix.com 
@citrix 
+1 800 424 8749 
www.cleo.com 
@MoveViewAct 
sales@cleo.com 
+1 815 654 8110 
www.owncloud.com 
@ownCloud 
sales@owncloud.com 
+1 781 778 7577
©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 12 
Best Practices for File Sharing 
© 2014 Osterman Research, Inc. All rights reserved. 
No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means, nor may it be 
distributed without the permission of Osterman Research, Inc., nor may it be resold or 
distributed by any entity other than Osterman Research, Inc., without prior written authorization 
of Osterman Research, Inc. 
Osterman Research, Inc. does not provide legal advice. Nothing in this document constitutes 
legal advice, nor shall this document or any software product or other offering referenced herein 
serve as a substitute for the reader’s compliance with any laws (including but not limited to any 
act, statute, regulation, rule, directive, administrative order, executive order, etc. (collectively, 
“Laws”)) referenced in this document. If necessary, the reader should consult with competent 
legal counsel regarding any Laws referenced herein. Osterman Research, Inc. makes no 
representation or warranty regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information contained 
in this document. 
THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL EXPRESS OR 
IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS, CONDITIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED 
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE 
DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE DETERMINED TO BE 
ILLEGAL.

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Download presentation source
Download presentation sourceDownload presentation source
Download presentation source
webhostingguy
 
Lesson 6 fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
Lesson 6  fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)Lesson 6  fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
Lesson 6 fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
IMRAN KHAN
 

Tendances (16)

E-publishing report
E-publishing reportE-publishing report
E-publishing report
 
ternet Services and how to use library filed
ternet Services and how to use library filedternet Services and how to use library filed
ternet Services and how to use library filed
 
West Chester - Tech Training Session 11
West Chester - Tech Training Session 11West Chester - Tech Training Session 11
West Chester - Tech Training Session 11
 
Ijrdtvlis31 1501
Ijrdtvlis31 1501Ijrdtvlis31 1501
Ijrdtvlis31 1501
 
How To Connect To Your Customers, Partners Securely, Privately and Effectively
How To Connect To Your Customers, Partners Securely, Privately and EffectivelyHow To Connect To Your Customers, Partners Securely, Privately and Effectively
How To Connect To Your Customers, Partners Securely, Privately and Effectively
 
ADEA Dallas 2008
ADEA Dallas 2008ADEA Dallas 2008
ADEA Dallas 2008
 
URMA Conference 2009
URMA Conference 2009URMA Conference 2009
URMA Conference 2009
 
Universities And Social Networking: making sense out of nonsense
Universities And Social Networking: making sense out of nonsenseUniversities And Social Networking: making sense out of nonsense
Universities And Social Networking: making sense out of nonsense
 
Universities and social networking: making sense out of nonsense
Universities and social networking: making sense out of nonsenseUniversities and social networking: making sense out of nonsense
Universities and social networking: making sense out of nonsense
 
Samepage Survey: Collaboration Apps Create New Challenges for SMBs
Samepage Survey: Collaboration Apps Create New Challenges for SMBsSamepage Survey: Collaboration Apps Create New Challenges for SMBs
Samepage Survey: Collaboration Apps Create New Challenges for SMBs
 
Download presentation source
Download presentation sourceDownload presentation source
Download presentation source
 
Lesson 6 fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
Lesson 6  fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)Lesson 6  fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
Lesson 6 fundamentals of internet and java programming (140 kb)
 
The 5-Step Formula for Reducing Document Capture Costs
The 5-Step Formula for Reducing Document Capture CostsThe 5-Step Formula for Reducing Document Capture Costs
The 5-Step Formula for Reducing Document Capture Costs
 
Internet Tools in Education
Internet Tools in EducationInternet Tools in Education
Internet Tools in Education
 
E resources
E resourcesE resources
E resources
 
Services provided by the internet
Services provided by the internetServices provided by the internet
Services provided by the internet
 

En vedette

Competitors landscape
Competitors landscapeCompetitors landscape
Competitors landscape
Paola Cretico
 
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º AConstruccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
leandraspinosa
 
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
Carlos Prieto
 
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
ComiteOlimpicoG
 

En vedette (20)

FahrradJäger
FahrradJägerFahrradJäger
FahrradJäger
 
Super catarina y los super insectos
Super catarina y los super insectosSuper catarina y los super insectos
Super catarina y los super insectos
 
Competitors landscape
Competitors landscapeCompetitors landscape
Competitors landscape
 
Catalyst Group's Latest Environment, Health and Safety Project
Catalyst Group's Latest Environment, Health and Safety ProjectCatalyst Group's Latest Environment, Health and Safety Project
Catalyst Group's Latest Environment, Health and Safety Project
 
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º AConstruccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
Construccion de ciudadania -Camila 3º A
 
Emerging City Report - Brasilia (2014)
Emerging City Report - Brasilia (2014)Emerging City Report - Brasilia (2014)
Emerging City Report - Brasilia (2014)
 
Arias antiguas
Arias antiguasArias antiguas
Arias antiguas
 
Programa de Dirección en Big Data - IE Business School
Programa de Dirección en Big Data - IE Business School Programa de Dirección en Big Data - IE Business School
Programa de Dirección en Big Data - IE Business School
 
Blue Planet Technologies2010 V03 Short
Blue Planet Technologies2010 V03 ShortBlue Planet Technologies2010 V03 Short
Blue Planet Technologies2010 V03 Short
 
3 codigo ascii ≈ [×bern@chea m×™]
3 codigo ascii ≈ [×bern@chea m×™]3 codigo ascii ≈ [×bern@chea m×™]
3 codigo ascii ≈ [×bern@chea m×™]
 
6 secrets of persuasive writing
6 secrets of persuasive writing6 secrets of persuasive writing
6 secrets of persuasive writing
 
Play station 4
Play station 4Play station 4
Play station 4
 
Frases Acuarelas Musica Ir
Frases Acuarelas Musica IrFrases Acuarelas Musica Ir
Frases Acuarelas Musica Ir
 
Proposal TTI
Proposal TTIProposal TTI
Proposal TTI
 
especialidades del INWTD
especialidades del INWTDespecialidades del INWTD
especialidades del INWTD
 
Formato hoja vida_juan_sebastian
Formato hoja vida_juan_sebastianFormato hoja vida_juan_sebastian
Formato hoja vida_juan_sebastian
 
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
CV_Carlos_Prieto_Lopez_2016_ES_VF (2)
 
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
Jaque Mate mes de octubre 2012
 
Illuminati sociedad que controla el mundo
Illuminati sociedad que controla el mundoIlluminati sociedad que controla el mundo
Illuminati sociedad que controla el mundo
 
Conflicts resulting from the Creation of new Districts in Uganda
Conflicts resulting from the Creation of new Districts in Uganda Conflicts resulting from the Creation of new Districts in Uganda
Conflicts resulting from the Creation of new Districts in Uganda
 

Similaire à Best Practices for File Sharing

The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - TopiaThe Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
Christian Schilling
 
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatformsOsterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
Shawn Ebbs
 
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for BusinessFinal IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
Madeleine Mackway-Jones
 
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
Melissa Luongo
 
The Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
The Growing Email Archiving DilemmaThe Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
The Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
gkfletch
 
Ict Powerpoint
Ict PowerpointIct Powerpoint
Ict Powerpoint
bradlaura
 

Similaire à Best Practices for File Sharing (20)

The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions 1 view
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions 1 viewThe Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions 1 view
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions 1 view
 
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - TopiaThe Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
The Critical Need for Enterprise-Grade File Sync and Share Solutions - Topia
 
Managed File Transfer White Paper
Managed File Transfer White PaperManaged File Transfer White Paper
Managed File Transfer White Paper
 
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatformsOsterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
Osterman_research_MessagingPlatforms
 
2014 trend in file sharing
2014 trend in file sharing2014 trend in file sharing
2014 trend in file sharing
 
Email archiving vs. destructive retention policies
Email archiving vs. destructive retention policiesEmail archiving vs. destructive retention policies
Email archiving vs. destructive retention policies
 
Email archiving
Email archivingEmail archiving
Email archiving
 
Best Practices for Managing Archive Migrations
Best Practices for Managing Archive MigrationsBest Practices for Managing Archive Migrations
Best Practices for Managing Archive Migrations
 
Analyst Report: Osterman Research: File Archiving: The Next Big Thing or Just...
Analyst Report: Osterman Research: File Archiving: The Next Big Thing or Just...Analyst Report: Osterman Research: File Archiving: The Next Big Thing or Just...
Analyst Report: Osterman Research: File Archiving: The Next Big Thing or Just...
 
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for BusinessFinal IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
Final IDC report - The Business Value of Dropbox for Business
 
21st Century ERM Presentation
21st Century ERM Presentation21st Century ERM Presentation
21st Century ERM Presentation
 
Portal Authentication: A Balancing Act Between Security Usability and Complia...
Portal Authentication: A Balancing Act Between Security Usability and Complia...Portal Authentication: A Balancing Act Between Security Usability and Complia...
Portal Authentication: A Balancing Act Between Security Usability and Complia...
 
Gov civilworkshop
Gov civilworkshopGov civilworkshop
Gov civilworkshop
 
From data storage to digital intelligence
From data storage to digital intelligenceFrom data storage to digital intelligence
From data storage to digital intelligence
 
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
Intralinks Ponemon Research Report | Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File...
 
Making File Transfer Easier, Compliant and More Secure
Making File Transfer Easier, Compliant and More SecureMaking File Transfer Easier, Compliant and More Secure
Making File Transfer Easier, Compliant and More Secure
 
Lkm 2011
Lkm 2011Lkm 2011
Lkm 2011
 
The Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
The Growing Email Archiving DilemmaThe Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
The Growing Email Archiving Dilemma
 
eCollaboration: Evaluation of a File Sharing Platform for SME
eCollaboration: Evaluation of a File Sharing Platform for SMEeCollaboration: Evaluation of a File Sharing Platform for SME
eCollaboration: Evaluation of a File Sharing Platform for SME
 
Ict Powerpoint
Ict PowerpointIct Powerpoint
Ict Powerpoint
 

Plus de Osterman Research, Inc.

Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private CloudsCloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
Osterman Research, Inc.
 
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
Osterman Research, Inc.
 

Plus de Osterman Research, Inc. (20)

Using Email, File, Social Media and Mobile Archiving to Grow Your Business
Using Email, File, Social Media and Mobile Archiving to Grow Your BusinessUsing Email, File, Social Media and Mobile Archiving to Grow Your Business
Using Email, File, Social Media and Mobile Archiving to Grow Your Business
 
The Need for Third-Party Security, Compliance and Other Capabilities in Micro...
The Need for Third-Party Security, Compliance and Other Capabilities in Micro...The Need for Third-Party Security, Compliance and Other Capabilities in Micro...
The Need for Third-Party Security, Compliance and Other Capabilities in Micro...
 
Managing BYOD in Corporate Environments
Managing BYOD in Corporate EnvironmentsManaging BYOD in Corporate Environments
Managing BYOD in Corporate Environments
 
Survey Report: Managing BYOD in Corporate Environments
Survey Report: Managing BYOD in Corporate EnvironmentsSurvey Report: Managing BYOD in Corporate Environments
Survey Report: Managing BYOD in Corporate Environments
 
Survey Report: Results of a Survey on Microsoft Office 365
Survey Report: Results of a Survey on Microsoft Office 365Survey Report: Results of a Survey on Microsoft Office 365
Survey Report: Results of a Survey on Microsoft Office 365
 
How the Cloud Can Make Government Archiving More Secure and Less Expensive
How the Cloud Can Make Government Archiving More Secure and Less ExpensiveHow the Cloud Can Make Government Archiving More Secure and Less Expensive
How the Cloud Can Make Government Archiving More Secure and Less Expensive
 
Secure, Reliable and Compliant: How the Cloud Can Make Archiving Profitable f...
Secure, Reliable and Compliant: How the Cloud Can Make Archiving Profitable f...Secure, Reliable and Compliant: How the Cloud Can Make Archiving Profitable f...
Secure, Reliable and Compliant: How the Cloud Can Make Archiving Profitable f...
 
A Better Method of Authentication
A Better Method of AuthenticationA Better Method of Authentication
A Better Method of Authentication
 
Putting IT Back in Control of BYOD
Putting IT Back in Control of BYODPutting IT Back in Control of BYOD
Putting IT Back in Control of BYOD
 
Mobile Devices in the Enterprise: MDM Usage and Adoption Trends
Mobile Devices in the Enterprise: MDM Usage and Adoption TrendsMobile Devices in the Enterprise: MDM Usage and Adoption Trends
Mobile Devices in the Enterprise: MDM Usage and Adoption Trends
 
Key Issues in eDiscovery
Key Issues in eDiscoveryKey Issues in eDiscovery
Key Issues in eDiscovery
 
Why Third-Party Archiving is Still Necessary in Exchange 2010
Why Third-Party Archiving is Still Necessary in Exchange 2010Why Third-Party Archiving is Still Necessary in Exchange 2010
Why Third-Party Archiving is Still Necessary in Exchange 2010
 
Why All Organizations Need to Manage and Archive Social Media
Why All Organizations Need to Manage and Archive Social MediaWhy All Organizations Need to Manage and Archive Social Media
Why All Organizations Need to Manage and Archive Social Media
 
What is the Total Value of Ownership for a Hosted PBX?
What is the Total Value of Ownership for a Hosted PBX?What is the Total Value of Ownership for a Hosted PBX?
What is the Total Value of Ownership for a Hosted PBX?
 
Taking a Strategic Approach to Unified Communications: Best of Breed vs. Sing...
Taking a Strategic Approach to Unified Communications: Best of Breed vs. Sing...Taking a Strategic Approach to Unified Communications: Best of Breed vs. Sing...
Taking a Strategic Approach to Unified Communications: Best of Breed vs. Sing...
 
Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private CloudsCloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
Cloud vs. Cloud: Comparing the TCO of Office 365 and Private Clouds
 
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
Why You Need to Consider Cloud-Based Security in 2012
 
Important Issues for Federal Agencies to Consider When Using Social Media and...
Important Issues for Federal Agencies to Consider When Using Social Media and...Important Issues for Federal Agencies to Consider When Using Social Media and...
Important Issues for Federal Agencies to Consider When Using Social Media and...
 
Making Office 365 More Secure and Compliant
Making Office 365 More Secure and CompliantMaking Office 365 More Secure and Compliant
Making Office 365 More Secure and Compliant
 
The Policy Survey Project: Fall 2011
The Policy Survey Project: Fall 2011The Policy Survey Project: Fall 2011
The Policy Survey Project: Fall 2011
 

Dernier

Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo DiehlFuture Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
Peter Udo Diehl
 
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersEssentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
Safe Software
 
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical FuturesSearch and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
Bhaskar Mitra
 

Dernier (20)

The architecture of Generative AI for enterprises.pdf
The architecture of Generative AI for enterprises.pdfThe architecture of Generative AI for enterprises.pdf
The architecture of Generative AI for enterprises.pdf
 
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 1
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 1UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 1
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 1
 
In-Depth Performance Testing Guide for IT Professionals
In-Depth Performance Testing Guide for IT ProfessionalsIn-Depth Performance Testing Guide for IT Professionals
In-Depth Performance Testing Guide for IT Professionals
 
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor Turskyi
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor Turskyi"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor Turskyi
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor Turskyi
 
Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo DiehlFuture Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
Future Visions: Predictions to Guide and Time Tech Innovation, Peter Udo Diehl
 
Mission to Decommission: Importance of Decommissioning Products to Increase E...
Mission to Decommission: Importance of Decommissioning Products to Increase E...Mission to Decommission: Importance of Decommissioning Products to Increase E...
Mission to Decommission: Importance of Decommissioning Products to Increase E...
 
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a button
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonConnector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a button
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a button
 
Bits & Pixels using AI for Good.........
Bits & Pixels using AI for Good.........Bits & Pixels using AI for Good.........
Bits & Pixels using AI for Good.........
 
AI revolution and Salesforce, Jiří Karpíšek
AI revolution and Salesforce, Jiří KarpíšekAI revolution and Salesforce, Jiří Karpíšek
AI revolution and Salesforce, Jiří Karpíšek
 
What's New in Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices April 2024
What's New in Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices April 2024What's New in Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices April 2024
What's New in Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices April 2024
 
Exploring UiPath Orchestrator API: updates and limits in 2024 🚀
Exploring UiPath Orchestrator API: updates and limits in 2024 🚀Exploring UiPath Orchestrator API: updates and limits in 2024 🚀
Exploring UiPath Orchestrator API: updates and limits in 2024 🚀
 
To Graph or Not to Graph Knowledge Graph Architectures and LLMs
To Graph or Not to Graph Knowledge Graph Architectures and LLMsTo Graph or Not to Graph Knowledge Graph Architectures and LLMs
To Graph or Not to Graph Knowledge Graph Architectures and LLMs
 
Speed Wins: From Kafka to APIs in Minutes
Speed Wins: From Kafka to APIs in MinutesSpeed Wins: From Kafka to APIs in Minutes
Speed Wins: From Kafka to APIs in Minutes
 
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersEssentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with Parameters
 
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered Quality
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualitySoftware Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered Quality
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered Quality
 
AI for Every Business: Unlocking Your Product's Universal Potential by VP of ...
AI for Every Business: Unlocking Your Product's Universal Potential by VP of ...AI for Every Business: Unlocking Your Product's Universal Potential by VP of ...
AI for Every Business: Unlocking Your Product's Universal Potential by VP of ...
 
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical FuturesSearch and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical Futures
 
IOS-PENTESTING-BEGINNERS-PRACTICAL-GUIDE-.pptx
IOS-PENTESTING-BEGINNERS-PRACTICAL-GUIDE-.pptxIOS-PENTESTING-BEGINNERS-PRACTICAL-GUIDE-.pptx
IOS-PENTESTING-BEGINNERS-PRACTICAL-GUIDE-.pptx
 
Behind the Scenes From the Manager's Chair: Decoding the Secrets of Successfu...
Behind the Scenes From the Manager's Chair: Decoding the Secrets of Successfu...Behind the Scenes From the Manager's Chair: Decoding the Secrets of Successfu...
Behind the Scenes From the Manager's Chair: Decoding the Secrets of Successfu...
 
PLAI - Acceleration Program for Generative A.I. Startups
PLAI - Acceleration Program for Generative A.I. StartupsPLAI - Acceleration Program for Generative A.I. Startups
PLAI - Acceleration Program for Generative A.I. Startups
 

Best Practices for File Sharing

  • 1. π Best Practices for File Sharing sponsored by An Osterman Research White Paper Published September 2014 SPONSORED BY Osterman Research, Inc. P.O. Box 1058 • Black Diamond, Washington • 98010-1058 • USA Tel: +1 253 630 5839 • Fax: +1 253 458 0934 • info@ostermanresearch.com www.ostermanresearch.com • twitter.com/mosterman sponsored by WHITE PAPER SPON SPON sponsored by sponsored by sponsored by
  • 2. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 1 Best Practices for File Sharing EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Information workers need to share files as part of their work and do so regularly. File sharing is so common, in fact, that Osterman Research surveys have found that one in four emails contains an attachment, and 98% of the bits that flow through the typical email system are files that are being shared with others. However, file-sharing practices today are fraught with excess cost and risk: • Using email to share files results in a lack of control over how content is sent, how it is tracked, and how many copies are distributed throughout an organization. Moreover, email systems do not permit senders to control who has access to this content or for how long it can be accessed. • Traditional FTP systems are inefficient and contribute to the potential for data leaks because users share passwords and content can be left on FTP servers indefinitely, many times for years. • Consumer-focused file sync and share solutions, such as Dropbox, are popular and generally work as designed. However, most Dropbox accounts are managed by individual employees, not their employer, which puts organizations at risk of data spoliation, data breaches, or an inability to find data when needed. These tools generally do not offer monitoring, tracking, audit trails, or other essential file-sharing features. The result is that most file sharing is inefficient, too expensive, too risky, and puts organizations at a significant disadvantage in the context of managing their legal, regulatory, and best practice obligations. It is also noteworthy that most organizations don’t think they’re managing their file-sharing processes well. An Osterman Research survey conducted in August 2014 found that, when asked to grade their management of file sharing in the context of best practices for information security and good information governance, only 9% of survey respondents gave their organization an “A.” Forty-two percent gave their organizations a “B,” while a plurality – 44% – gave themselves a “C.” KEY TAKEAWAY To eliminate these risks and put IT back in control of the file-sharing process, organizations of all sizes should implement an enterprise-grade file sync and share capability that will meet the dual needs of: a) enabling employees to have access to all of their files from any device, and b) enabling IT to control the organization’s critical data assets. ABOUT THIS WHITE PAPER This white paper discusses the current problem with file sync and share practices and the results of a survey conducted for this paper in early August 2014. It provides some recommendations for what decision-makers should consider as they implement a file sync and share capability. The paper also provides a brief overview of its sponsors: Citrix, Cleo, and ownCloud. FILE SHARING TODAY THE DE FACTO FILE-SHARING SOLUTIONS IN USE TODAY In most organizations, email has become the de facto file transport system. As shown in Figure 1, virtually all of the organizations surveyed employ email to transfer files. However, the traditional method of file transfer, FTP, is also widely used, as are various cloud-based file sync and share tools. Our research also found that enterprise-grade file transfer solutions are not yet widely deployed. Organizations of all sizes should implement an enterprise-grade file sync and share capability.
  • 3. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 2 Best Practices for File Sharing Figure 1 Capabilities Employed for File Transfer % of Organizations in Which Capability is Used Source: Osterman Research, Inc. REASONS FOR THE DOMINANCE OF EMAIL FOR FILE TRANSFER Email owes its dominance in the file transfer space to four primary attributes that make it well suited as a communications and collaboration platform: • Email is the most important single application employed by most information workers. • Almost all email clients, including many Webmail systems, allow drag-and-drop of files into email messages. This is an essential element of the ease-of-use experience. • Virtually all email systems are built to industry standards and offer users a high degree of assurance that emails can be received and opened by any recipient. • Almost every computing platform has an email client or other access to corporate email, making it a nearly universally available platform for sending files. As a result, email has become the default method for sending files in almost every organization. While other tools are used to send electronic files, email continues to be the main platform that individuals use to send content. IMPORTANT TRENDS IN FILE SHARING Various file sync and share tools are widely used, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and many others. These tools enable employees to access files from any platform and send large files to others. Most of these tools are cloud-based and offer various tiers of storage – many vendors employ a “freemium” model that provides anywhere from two to 15 gigabytes of storage per account at no charge. A testament to the growth of the file sync and share market is the significant number of new entrants into this space and the number of acquisitions that have occurred over the past two years. Email has become the default method for sending files in almost every organization.
  • 4. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 3 Best Practices for File Sharing Corporate data security is becoming more critical at the same time, evidenced by the increasing importance of preventing data breaches. Motivated by an increasing number of compliance regulations, as well as growing concerns over data leaks and corporate data governance, IT is pushing for more visibility into how employees are transferring content and the types of content that are sent inside and outside the organization. Moreover, as companies, business partners, and members of corporate workgroups become more geographically distributed as a result of telework schemes and increased reliance on business partnerships, there is a growing need to improve the reliability and ease of sharing critical documents, both for manual transfer of content and for integration with automated business processes. The importance of telework should not be underestimated. Employees and contractors are becoming more geographically distributed as organizations of all sizes implement telework programs to reduce the costs of rent and other expenses associated with providing employees with office space. As a result, employees who can no longer work together physically now rely more on document sharing by email and file sync and share tools in order to collaborate on projects. Closely related is the growing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), Bring Your Own Applications (BYOA), and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) trends among employees who increasingly use personally owned capabilities to do their work. For example, Osterman Research has found that the majority of Apple iPhone and Android smartphones in the workplace today are personally owned, suggesting that most organizations have simply accepted the BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC “deployment” models as the norm. THE STATUS QUO IS NOT OPTIMAL THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WHEN EMAIL IS USED FOR FILE SHARING Email was designed as a communication tool, not as a file-sharing or collaboration system. However, email has become the de facto file-sharing system in most organizations. The result is that its use for transporting the majority of files in most organizations leads to a variety of problems. For example, as shown in Figure 2 (on page 4), more than one-half of organizations report a variety of problems associated with managing email systems that are directly attributable to its use as a file transport platform. Further, even problems that are identified by fewer than one-half of organizations as serious still pose threats to email system uptime and the ability to maintain the integrity of sensitive or confidential content. When using email as a file-sharing system, corporate governance for corporate data can be seriously lacking. An important aspect of this lack of corporate governance is that performing audits on or delivery verification of content sent to others via email is difficult, if not impossible. For example, if a user attaches a time-sensitive document to an email, normally the only way to verify its delivery is to send another email or contact the recipient in some other way. Most email systems do not have the ability to track the flow of content from sender to recipient throughout the entire transfer process. Other problems can occur when using email for file sharing: • Loss of employee productivity because of more frequent email system downtime incidents, as well as longer downtime incidents because of the large volume of data that must be restored after a system downtime. • Poor email server performance because of the large volume of email that contains attachments and so constrains bandwidth and consumes an inordinate proportion of email server CPU cycles. Email was designed as a communication tool, not as a file-sharing or collaboration system.
  • 5. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 4 Best Practices for File Sharing • Significant duplication of files when the same attachment is sent to multiple parties. This alone can contribute significantly to the bloat of storage on email servers, on backups, and in email archives. Moreover, duplication of files makes it more difficult and expensive to find relevant content during early case assessments, eDiscovery, or a regulatory audit. Figure 2 Problems in Managing Email Systems % Responding a Serious or Very Serious Problem Problem % Growth in messaging storage 46% Increasing message size 45% Enforcing an email retention / deletion policy 43% Excessively large mail stores on the server 43% Increasing backup and restore times 41% Use of email for sending files 39% Users sending attachments that are too large 37% Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, malware, etc. 35% Managing spam 36% Storage costs 35% Software licensing costs 34% Users sending confidential data improperly 33% Supporting legal or compliance in searching for content 30% Backups take too long 28% Users pestering IT about mailbox-size quotas 25% Total cost of ownership 24% Lack of network bandwidth 22% Complying with regulations like HIPAA, SOX, etc. 21% Reliability/uptime of email servers 19% Performance/speed of email servers 17% Employees’ personal use of corporate email 16% Finding qualified IT personnel to manage email systems 16% Denial-of-service attacks 14% Scalability 15% Time required for managing email server software 11% IT having difficulty meeting service-level agreements 8% Source: Osterman Research, Inc. EXISTING SOLUTIONS OFTEN DO NOT MEET CORPORATE OR USER REQUIREMENTS There are various other file sharing–related problems faced by organizations that need to share information electronically: • IT typically lacks control over content because most of this content is sent through email, non-secure file sync and share tools, or other non-secure means. While many consumer-focused solutions like Dropbox work as intended, they often lack the IT-focused functionality needed to centrally manage corporate content. While IT is often responsible for corporate governance, it lacks the ability to fully control the flow of information sent through non-secure tools, particularly when employees are in control of their own accounts. Moreover, IT has little visibility into content sent via means other than email, such as cloud-based file-sharing tools, physical delivery, USB drives, personal Webmail, etc. Indicating just how much corporate decision-makers are concerned about file transfer of files through tools like Dropbox, Figure 3 demonstrates that four of
  • 6. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 5 Best Practices for File Sharing five organizations have at least some level of concern with the use of these widely deployed tools. Figure 3 IT Management’s Concern About the Use of Employee-Managed Services Source: Osterman Research, Inc. • Most file-sharing systems do not permit centralized search and discovery of corporate content. For example, information that might be needed for an eDiscovery effort or a regulatory audit may be difficult or impossible to find when stored in cloud-based file sync and share tools that are managed by employees. Moreover, the distribution of data among the various file-sharing solutions that might be in use in an organization – and the inaccessibility of these content stores to the IT or legal department charged with finding it – is a very serious problem when quick turn-around times are required. • The FTP systems deployed in most organizations – used in 50% of organizations, as shown in Figure 1 (on page 2) – are quite useful for sending large files, but they have two serious drawbacks: First, FTP solutions in many organizations lack robust security because users often share login credentials. Second, the content on FTP systems is normally left unmanaged and unattended after files are sent, creating corporate governance problems and greater potential for data breaches. The latter problem is typically the more serious, since this can result in access to sensitive or confidential content by unauthorized parties over long periods. • Another serious problem with FTP is its reliability. Because FTP cannot inherently recover from an error, it does not send an alert when a problem has occurred. Further, FTP may not reliably transfer very large files in some situations, nor maximize bandwidth usage, sending files at a lower speed than the available bandwidth would allow. This means not only that file transfers take longer than necessary, but that the value of the purchased bandwidth is sometimes not being realized. • Many organizations have deployed Microsoft SharePoint to deal with content management issues, including file sharing. While SharePoint is a useful tool, our research has found it to require a significant investment of time and other IT resources to manage properly. If SharePoint is to be used primarily as a glorified Most file-sharing systems do not permit centralized search and discovery of corporate content.
  • 7. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 6 Best Practices for File Sharing file share, it definitely represents an “overkill” approach to the problem of sharing content. • Managing file-sharing solutions can be a time-consuming effort for IT staff. If FTP systems are used, then IT must manage these servers and deal with user issues as they arise. If email is used for transferring files, then IT must spend time dealing with email problems caused by mailbox quotas being exceeded. • The majority of emails and attachments are sent without any encryption. This increases the potential for data breaches and the risk of non-compliance with a number of legal and regulatory obligations to protect sensitive data in transit and at rest. Because 46 US states now have data-breach notification laws and two US states have enacted statutes that require the encryption of certain content types when sent intra-state, file transfers that contain sensitive information must be encrypted. Moreover, many countries around the world have strict data sovereignty laws. Data encryption helps organizations to meet their various national and global compliance obligations. • Most users will send files electronically, but some users faced with the need to transfer very large files or large numbers of files will sometimes burn a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and send it via physical delivery. This not only decreases the security of transferring files but also increases corporate costs. • Moreover, it is difficult to control this content once it leaves the enterprise. Many industries such as healthcare, financial services and legal require content to be managed through its entire lifecycle. For example, at the end of a legal case, lawyers are required to purge sensitive content provided to expert witnesses such as medical records. This is difficult to confirm if a company mails out a CD or DVD. It is much easier to revoke access to content (and track that) from an enterprise file sync and share service. LOOSENING IT CONTROL OVER CORPORATE DATA AND FILE-SHARING PRACTICES Organizations have traditionally relied on end users to decide what information should be kept, what should be deleted, where information should be stored, and for how long it should be retained. Consequently, roughly three-quarters of corporate data today is generated and controlled by individual employees. In most cases, this practice is ineffective and causes what many refer to as “covert” or “underground archiving,” in which individuals end up keeping everything in their own unmanaged storage repositories or archives, such as cloud-based storage systems or local .PST files. These underground archives effectively lock most of the organization’s information away, hidden from everyone else in the organization, and give birth to the phenomenon called “dark data”—an underground of unmanaged, uncontrolled, and unstructured data. Inexpensive, cloud-based storage has only served to exacerbate the problem of dark data. The problem is most evident in the widespread and growing use of file sync and share tools. While these tools are useful for individual users, they allow corporate policies, legal requirements and regulatory obligations to be circumvented, creating a serious information governance problem. The net result is that while employees become more empowered, IT’s control over corporate data gets reduced. This is not a necessary balance but a common one nonetheless. IS DATA REALLY DELETED? Another important issue for corporate decision-makers – and a growing problem as employees manage more data on personally owned devices and in cloud-based data stores—is the problem of data not really being deleted. For example, corporate data that is stored on an employee’s personal smartphone might not be deleted when that employee leaves the company or loses his or her device. An Osterman Research Underground archives effectively lock most of the organization’s information away, hidden from everyone else in the organization, and give birth to the phenomenon called “dark data”.
  • 8. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 7 Best Practices for File Sharing survey on BYOD issues conducted during August 20141 found that only 83% of personally owned smartphones can be remotely wiped by IT. Another Osterman Research survey conducted in June 2014 found that 84% of information workers who used Dropbox in a previous job still had access to the same account – many times housing their previous employer’s information – in their current job. However, the problem extends to cloud providers themselves, since some providers do not necessarily delete customer data even after the customer has deleted it. For example, Google’s privacy policy states that, “…after you delete information from our services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and may not remove information from our backup systems.2” Dropbox states that it “…saves all deleted files for 30 days…3” These issues create serious control problems for organizations that must maintain strict control of their corporate data. THE CONSUMERIZATION OF IT IS AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM The concepts of BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC – which are part of the larger trend toward the consumerization of IT – are simple: Employees use their own devices, apps and cloud-based services to access corporate content and other resources like email, databases, and various applications. It is essential to note that the consumerization of IT covers a wide front: It includes social technologies, cloud-based tools to access content in a faster and easier way, and more consumer-oriented expectations within the workplace. The popularity of the consumerization trend is evident in the large proportion of mobile phones used in the workplace, the growing number of mobile apps used to create and access corporate content, and the widespread use of file sync and share tools. CORPORATE RISK IS INCREASING Among the various risks associated with the IT consumerization phenomenon in general – and file sync and share in particular – are: • Inadequate content management Content created and stored in Dropbox, for example, is less accessible to the organization at large. This makes it more difficult for the organization to know the content it has available for eDiscovery or regulatory audits, increases the difficulty of accessing this data when required, and makes content retention more difficult. The lack of an audit trail in most file sync and share solutions contributes to the serious risk associated with their use in a corporate environment. This can lead to a greater risk of evidence spoliation, greater risks in satisfying regulatory obligations, and more difficulty in managing content retention periods. The problem is magnified when employees leave a company and do not provide access to the corporate data in their personal accounts before they leave. • Security risks An employee who uses a file-sharing application to sync corporate content for use on a home computer and inadvertently infects one or more files with malware in the process can introduce this threat to the corporate network when syncing files. This is a critical issue that can wreak havoc for corporate security staff, lead to loss of data, or create a variety of other problems. Related to this is the increased risk of data breaches from content that is sent unencrypted through file sync and share tools. • Regulatory or legal sanctions Inadequate record-keeping or supervision can result in a number of regulatory or 1 BYOD Market Trends Through 2016, Osterman Research, Inc. 2 http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/ 3 https://www.dropbox.com/help/969 Among the various risks associated with the IT consumerization phenomenon in general – and file sync and share in particular – is the inability for organizations to manage their content adequately.
  • 9. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 8 Best Practices for File Sharing legal sanctions. Personally managed content is treated as a form of electronic communication by courts and regulators and so is subject to the same rules as those for email. Thus, organizations must take into account regulatory rules and eDiscovery guidelines when devising their BYOD, BYOA, and BYOC policies and procedures. • Unauthorized exposure of data Another risk, and one that is on the increase as a result of government access to private information, is the potential for content sent through unmanaged file sync and share tools to be exposed as part of government data-gathering programs. This could result in corporate data being subject to subpoena or otherwise exposed despite the intent of file sync and share service providers to protect their customers’ data. RISKS LEAD TO COSTS All of these risks can lead to direct and/or indirect costs. For example, an inability to produce all necessary data during a legal action or a regulatory audit can result in fines or other sanctions. Having data scattered across the organization in personal file-sharing accounts can require extra IT staff or legal staff time to find and process. Malware such as a keystroke logger that is introduced into an organization through an unmanaged file-sharing application can result in the loss of finances (e.g., through exfiltration of funds from a corporate bank account), loss of intellectual property, or a data breach. There are various ways of quantifying these costs, although the example below takes a quantitative business analysis approach to estimating them. For example, let’s assume that the use of non-secure file-sharing solutions will result in the following potential risks and costs: • Spoliation of data in a lawsuit: A 2.0% likelihood each year of a $200,000 sanction for losing data. • Introduction of malware: A 2.5% likelihood each year of losing $250,000 as a result of a single malware incident. • A data breach of just 5,000 records: A 4.0% likelihood each year of incurring remediation costs of $200 per record. Multiplying the likelihood of each incident by the cost of the event actually occurring results in a total annual cost of $50,250. However, it’s important to note that these are rather conservative estimates (a 2.0% chance equates to a single incident only once every 50 years), both for the likelihood of each event occurring and its potential financial impact – the costs could be dramatically higher. BEST PRACTICES FOR EVALUATING FILE-SHARING SOLUTIONS Osterman Research recommends a number of best practices that decision-makers should consider as they plan a migration from the collection of unmanaged file sync and share solutions in their organization to an enterprise-grade file sync and share capability: • Focus on ease of use Enterprise-grade file-sharing solutions must compete against the growing number of easy-to-use, consumer-focused file sync and share tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, and other tools to which users have become accustomed and upon which they depend to improve their productivity. As a result, an enterprise-grade file-sharing solution must be simple to use and have a pleasing interface if IT expects users to employ it. Regardless One of the most important differentiators between consumer and enterprise file sync and share is the primary controller of the information stored in these tools.
  • 10. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 9 Best Practices for File Sharing of how much IT dictates that users stop using their favorite file sync and share tool or attempts to force the use of alternatives that are less appealing, users will not use a tool if they don’t want to. • Consider how data is to be managed There are two basic approaches to file sync and share: Move data into specific repositories, either on-premises and/or in the cloud, or leave the data in its original location but still share it securely. Either approach can be used to manage data securely. The decision will depend on the particular IT architecture that an organization employs, its preference for storing data in the cloud or behind the corporate firewall, the regulatory environment that dictates where data can be stored, and other factors. • Focus heavily on corporate governance Establishing corporate governance of data is becoming a more serious issue as state, provincial, and national governments focus on stopping breaches of sensitive and confidential data. Because data breaches have been on the increase, we expect that laws and corporate policies designed to govern data more effectively will become stricter in the future. Because of this, robust file sync and share solutions that will be able to satisfy governance requirements must become a higher priority. • Put IT back in control of the file-sharing process One of the most important differentiators between consumer and enterprise file sync and share is the primary controller of the information stored in these tools. In a consumer-centric IT approach, individual employees are in charge of the corporate data, thereby introducing the risks discussed earlier in this paper. In an enterprise-centric approach to file sync and share, IT is in charge. Implementing a solution focusing on the latter is essential because it minimizes risk, ensures that corporate policies are implemented and enforced, and allows appropriate control over sensitive and confidential corporate data. A key element in putting IT back in control of the file sync and share process is the ability to reign in consumer-focused file sync and share solutions as part of the rollout of the enterprise-grade capability. This ensures that users don’t end up using both. • Consider the deployment options The majority of consumer file sync and share solutions are managed in the cloud. Enterprise-grade solutions, on the other hand, typically permit the option of cloud storage of content, on-premises storage, or a combination of both. Moreover, if an organization opts for cloud storage, the decision to use public storage in a shared, multi-tenant environment should be considered relative to a private cloud approach that is normally more secure. There is not necessarily a “right” approach to enterprise-grade file sync and share, although highly sensitive data should, in many cases, be left on-premises or, if in the cloud, managed using a private-cloud model. • Focus on the lifecycle of corporate data Enterprise-grade file sync and share solutions include the ability to manage data throughout its lifecycle. Unlike most email and FTP systems in which content is mostly unmanaged after being sent, enterprise-grade file sync and share solutions will allow content to be managed by senders and by IT with capabilities such as making the content available only for a limited time or allowing its access only by authorized parties. This makes data breaches less likely and will improve IT’s ability to manage data in accordance with regulatory, legal, and corporate policy requirements. • Ensure that essential capabilities are included The requirements for any enterprise-grade file sync and share solution will vary based on the particular needs of the organization, but should include several key Enterprise-grade file sync and share solutions include the ability to manage data throughout its lifecycle.
  • 11. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 10 Best Practices for File Sharing elements, such as: o The ability to track files and create an audit trail of all information managed with the solution. o The ability to integrate with existing backup, archiving, monitoring, authentication, security, enterprise mobility management and other solutions. o The ability to integrate with or provide messaging capabilities along with file transfer. o Robust access controls that include highly granular permissions control. o Virus and malware scanning. o The ability for content to be accessed easily from mobile devices. o Robust encryption. o Tampering prevention. Finally, solutions should be highly scalable, require a minimum of IT effort to manage, and require very little training so that new users can get up to speed quickly. • Consider integrated solutions Many organizations will want to consider their deployment of a secure file-sharing solution in conjunction with a secure email capability because of the synergy between the two solutions. A few vendors offer integrated secure file-sharing and secure email capabilities, allowing both to be managed together.
  • 12. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 11 Best Practices for File Sharing SPONSORS OF THIS WHITE PAPER Citrix ShareFile is a secure enterprise file sync and sharing service that meets the mobility and collaboration needs of users and the data security requirements of the enterprise. ShareFile is offered as a standalone product or as part of a broader enterprise mobility management solution known as XenMobile Enterprise. Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leader in mobile workspaces, providing virtualization, mobility management, networking, and cloud services to enable new ways to work better. Citrix solutions power business mobility through secure, personal workspaces that provide people with instant access to apps, desktops, data, and communications on any device, over any network and cloud. This year Citrix is celebrating 25 years of innovation, making IT simpler and people more productive. With annual revenue in 2013 of $2.9 billion, Citrix solutions are in use at more than 330,000 organizations and by over 100 million users globally. Learn more at www.citrix.com. Cleo makes it easy for companies to move data both within their enterprise and beyond —– and to view data insights and act earlier with informed decisions. With over 35 years of experience and over 100,000 proven and tested installations worldwide, Cleo offers enterprise integration software solutions that are exceptionally easy to install and use. Cleo has solutions for enterprise- managed file transfer, enterprise file synchronization and sharing, network fax, and dynamic interactive voice and text messaging. Cleo solutions handle the most comprehensive requirements of enterprise and multi-enterprise integration and include a library of over 800 preconfigured secure connections to speed your implementation. Regardless of the size or complexity of your integration needs, Cleo has the right solution for you. ownCloud helps enterprises concerned about sensitive data leakage deliver a secure file sync and share solution on site, on their storage, integrated with their infrastructure and security systems, managed to their policies. The result is an easy-to- use solution that provides complete control over sensitive corporate data. ownCloud integrates seamlessly into existing user directories, governance, security, monitoring, storage and back-up tools — becoming part of the existing infrastructure and allowing IT to leave data where it is. And because ownCloud is open -source and open by nature, plug-in apps exist to extend ownCloud out of the box, enabling LDAP/AD integration, file versioning, file sharing, external file system mounts, and much more. Your Cloud. Your Data. Your Way. For more information visit www.owncloud.com. www.citrix.com @citrix +1 800 424 8749 www.cleo.com @MoveViewAct sales@cleo.com +1 815 654 8110 www.owncloud.com @ownCloud sales@owncloud.com +1 781 778 7577
  • 13. ©2014 Osterman Research, Inc. 12 Best Practices for File Sharing © 2014 Osterman Research, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means, nor may it be distributed without the permission of Osterman Research, Inc., nor may it be resold or distributed by any entity other than Osterman Research, Inc., without prior written authorization of Osterman Research, Inc. Osterman Research, Inc. does not provide legal advice. Nothing in this document constitutes legal advice, nor shall this document or any software product or other offering referenced herein serve as a substitute for the reader’s compliance with any laws (including but not limited to any act, statute, regulation, rule, directive, administrative order, executive order, etc. (collectively, “Laws”)) referenced in this document. If necessary, the reader should consult with competent legal counsel regarding any Laws referenced herein. Osterman Research, Inc. makes no representation or warranty regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in this document. THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS, CONDITIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE DETERMINED TO BE ILLEGAL.