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Many of us were connected to the office network when we were at the office. Sharing files didn't need to be thought about. Sharing important files can be difficult now that we are scattered across the landscape. Powerful file-sharing services can help you share sensitive files safely, so you can collaborate better no matter where you are.
Attaching a document to an email is probably the easiest way to share a file. Either way, there is trouble on several fronts. If you rely too much on your email or messaging system, your files could become available to hackers. If you share traditional documents that way, you could find yourself playing a game of who has the most current version. Multiple people working on the same document can make it hard to keep track of the latest updates.
There are flaws to both of them, too.
If your company insists on using built-in collaboration tools, they can become cumbersome when your team expands beyond your office domain. You could accidentally share the document with people who shouldn't see it or lock someone out who needs access. The more complicated your sharing situation is, the greater the risk of a mistake where the world can gain access to your files. We have all seen news stories where a database or collection of documents fell into the wrong hands because someone failed to apply appropriate security. I had to get a new email address for one of my clients because they wouldn't risk it.
There are more than a dozen different providers of personal file-sharing services. Many of these are free. Everyone in your sharing circle should use two-factor authentication to access these services, not just a usernames and passwords. They are often second-rate when it comes to user experience, for example, Dropbox's collaboration features can be confusing, and Box's file preview feature doesn't do a great job. They are adequate for single-use sharing or sharing files across your own devices, but they are not my preferred solution.
You should consider a cloud-based file-sharing service that adds more layers of protection by encrypting your data, and that has fine-tuned access control. Egnyte, SecureDocs, ShareFile, and SugarSync are just a few of the more popular services; here is a chart with a rough comparison of how much they cost and what they offer to start.
A vendor.
Monthly pricing.
The file upload is large.
There is a free trial period.
Application integration.
A vendor.
Monthly pricing.
The file upload is large.
There is a free trial period.
Application integration.
Egnyte.
$20 per user.
100 gigabytes.
15 days.
Extensive.
There are secure documents.
$250 for unlimited users.
There is unlimited.
14 days.
It was limited.
ShareFile/Citrix
$50 for unlimited users.
100 gigabytes.
30 days.
Extensive.
SugarSync.
$55 for 3 users.
For web clients, there is 300 gigabytes.
30 days
It was limited.
Credit card required to use free trial
Regardless of which one you choose, here is what you should look for when researching a secure file-sharing service.
You can browse shared directories and keep local copies for quick access with automatic file sync for all users on all devices.
It is possible to browse shared directories and folders on the go with the support for all of the above.
End to end. If someone is able to download your files without your knowledge, they shouldn't be able to do anything with them. ShareFile has an Outlook plug-in that protects your files.
There is additional login security. The others I mention have it as an option, but SecureDocs requires it by default. Setting this up is as simple as using a phone's camera to take a picture.
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It is easy to make it difficult to share publicly.
The right people are sharing the right files. Egnyte has a lot of controls to add a password to your file, allow or disabling downloads, and notifications.
Noupscale is a file on access controlegynte.
Audit trails to figure out and fix when someone accidentally shares a file with the entire internet, or you can remove a shared file if it's no longer needed.
You can use the free trial periods to evaluate the products if you choose. Asking yourself these questions will help you pick.
Do you often share large files, such as videos or illustrated PowerPoint documents? SugarSync has a limit on the size of web clients.
The file-sharing service uses other software tools. Sharing files is easier with Egnyte integrations, which make it easier to use as part of your normal workflows. If this is important to you, check the fine print.
Do you need a place to stay? A common shared data room can be a cloud equivalent of a shared network file server. Both ShareFile and SecureDocs offer unlimited space for their rooms. If you are not a video producer, Egnyte caps the room at 1TB, which is still a lot of storage.
Do you need any other specialized services? There are some services that integrate with e-signature apps and other services that allow for custom workflows and other tasks that can be done more quickly in a corporate environment.
It will take some adjustment, but I think enterprise sharing services are worth the effort to gain additional peace of mind, better security, and collaborative features.
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