Ensuring data security within the Managed File Transfer process is critical for protecting data from cyber attacks. Last week I attended a conference on data security where there was much discussion about the recent high-profile cyber attacks. A dominant theme coming out of the conference was the battle to protect sensitive data through managed file transfer, secure FTP and other secure file transfer technologies. Time and again the data security thought-leaders stressed that enterprises need to know and understand how data security can be compromised. While FTP is thought to be relatively secure, there are risks involved from a security perspective. There was significant discussion regarding managed file transfer as a significantly more secure process than FTP for protecting data security.
Data Security, Hackers and FTP
When companies transmit data using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), there is always the possibility that critical information could be hacked. “Sniffing” tools are used by many hackers to access sensitive data sent via FTP. An attacker could intercept data traveling across the network, analyze it and then gain access to sensitive user ID and password information, thereby allowing them to log onto FTP servers.
Prevent Hackers with Secure FTP
To help prevent data being compromised, networks need to make sure that network ports are not available for public access. Once networks are secured, the next most effective tactic against hackers is to block all FTP traffic at the firewall. For permitted file transfers, allow only secure encryption protocols for file exchanges in and out of the network. These security restrictions will help in preventing access through sniffing tools.
Managed File Transfer Technologies Help Solve Security Exposure
Managed file transfer solutions can provide the highest security for file transfers. Managed File transfer solutions increase data security implementations and simplify the entire file management process by providing the tools for easily creating and managing all of the unique encryption keys for the company’s various trading partners. A managed file transfer process also provides a detailed log of all transactions so that any required audits may be easily fulfilled.
Keeping data secure is an ongoing concern for organizations of all sizes, and will only become more critical in the future. Deploying a managed file transfer solution is one of the best ways to strengthen your file transfer process and security as the pressure and liability risks continue to grow.
bTrade is a pioneer in the data security and managed file transfer fields, so please contact us at info@btrade.com if you want our data security experts to analyze your infrastructure to determine how best to protect your valuable and confidential data.