FileTalk - An Accellion Blog

In our last post, “New Research to Drive Your Mobile Policies”, we talked about how mobile devices are redefining the workplace, pushing the need for ubiquitous access to enterprise content. But, the big question is how to give users what they want – user-friendly, around-the-clock data availability – while maintaining strong IT security and control. It can be a big undertaking if you don’t know what to look for from a file sharing solution.

Here are 10 must-haves to help meet both users’ and IT’s needs:

1. Multiple platform support: Even if you’re a Blackberry shop today, you don’t know what the future holds, so you need to be able to support iOS, Android and Blackberry devices should the need arise.
2. Seamless access to existing ECM stores: Allow users to gain anytime, anywhere access to data – whether stored in SharePoint or another ECM system – and share files with internal or external audiences, without a VPN.
3. Enhanced encryption: To lower data breach risks, your solution of choice should encrypt data both in transit and at rest, across all devices – whether in the cloud or on-premise.
4. Centralized management: Easily configure user permissions and manage user policies and profiles, including role-based access controls – ideally from a single, web-based interface.
5. Proactive file protection: Extend your organization’s established content/file monitoring policies to all file sharing activities by integrating with commercially available DLP and anti-virus solutions.
6. Complete device control: Ask about remote monitoring, logging, and wiping capabilities, to provide much-needed visibility and control should a device be lost or stolen.
7. Required enterprise integrations: Ensure that the solution you’re evaluating will support your existing infrastructure, applications, and security processes, such as LDAP, Active Directory, single sign-on, authentication, FTP, and SMTP.
8. File sharing visibility: With evolving regulatory requirements, you need granular reporting capabilities, real-time file tracking, and automated audit trails to maintain compliance standings.
9. Deployment choice: Whether a public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid environment, evaluate which deployment provides maximum data security and availability and will have your users up and running quickly.
10. Say “no” to consumer-class services: Prohibit users from seeking out their own consumer-based solutions, such as Dropbox, to prevent being left in the dark about where files have been sent and to whom.

Extend security to every file and every device within your organization and embrace the BYOD trend. Your users will thank you.