FTP Servers and Overnight Services are Not Secure File Transfer Methods

By Bill Ho

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More and more business today is transacted electronically: Messages and files are sent/received between colleagues, partners, and customers; individuals collaborate on projects remotely; technical support departments' service their users with fast, efficient software download. Tools such as email, FTP, and overnight services had been able to get the job done, but today's needs require additional security, compliance with federal and state regulations, easier interfaces, and better management and reporting capabilities.

Sending files through email is a very convenient and simple way to move documents and files. Unfortunately, email systems were developed several decades ago when security was not an imperative. IT administrators often use the analogy of sending an email to sending a postcard - if you don't care who reads your message (or attachments), then email is fine. If you want to make sure your message and attachments are not viewable by others, then you must look for another way to send that information.

Email, however, does have the advantage of being extremely easy to use, and email systems are usually tightly integrated with global contact lists and directory services. However, today, more organizations than not are restricting attachments by size and file type - five megabyte files or larger are stripped out, as well as many file formats such as .zip and .exe files. The key to a superior file transfer system is to eliminate the drawbacks while maintaining the same ease-of-use as email.

FTP is another legacy and widely used file transfer method. The majority of complaints about FTP come primarily from the people who are trying to download files, i.e., too hard to use, especially if client software needs to be downloaded and installed. But the more serious complaint about FTP is how highly susceptible it is to being hacked or accessed by unauthorized individuals.

The IT group with responsibility for FTP servers is often asked by people to set up new users, create directories, upload files, and then clean up downloaded files. In addition to managing users, passwords, and permissions, IT personnel must search for records of successful delivery in cryptic log files. Overall, managing FTP users, assigning permissions, keeping track of files, folders, directory hierarchy, storage limitations, etc. can be a significant burden to an already overloaded IT staff.

Many companies use overnight courier services as a last resort to send large files. The labor, time, and expense involved in using this method are significant - finding a CD or DVD recording device, burning the data, putting together the package, addressing it, and paying for the service, which must cover the expense of planes, delivery trucks, personnel, and fuel. And even overnight delivery can't compete with a near instantaneous electronic file transfer.

Secure file transfer solutions, also known as managed file transfer solutions, help people send electronic files and documents to other people easily and with confidence. Secure file transfer replaces email attachments, FTP servers and overnight services with a truly secure, auditable, easy to use solution for sending large files securely.

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