Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/27653
Secure file transfer (SFT) solutions also provide a convenient way to transfer files easily and securely. Some solution providers may also support e-mail integration, allowing users to leverage the application they use every day. As a file transfer mechanism, SFT solutions may not integrate as well with e-mail and other third-party e-mail extensions. KEEPING YOUR FIRM’S FILES SECURE Do your due diligence when selecting a solution. Determine all the ways you are sharing files today: • Do you use FTP or SFTP sites? • Are you burning CDs and delivering them overnight? • Are attachments and confidential information going out in cleartext e-mail messages? Consider the consequences of accidentally leaking sensitive information. Look at how much time it might take to deliver information using other methods. When evaluating outside solutions, consider product features, the vendor’s reputation, longevity and customer support and, most important, security and A Little Bit of E-Mail History W e take e-mail for granted; however, because e-mail is so ubiquitous, we also tend to forget that it has limitations. A closer look at the evolution of e-mail reveals its strengths and weaknesses. The very first e-mail message was sent across a network in 1971 — 40 years ago — and employed the first use of the “@” sign. This first message went from one computer to another that was sitting 36 Exchange 2010 ILTA White Paper right next to it. E-mail didn’t support attachments, was text-only and certainly wasn’t secure. Soon, e-mail was used for everything from conducting business deals and commerce transactions to transferring medical records and sending grocery lists to spouses. People soon realized the deficiencies of e-mail, and its lack of security design. Initial attempts at encrypting messages were cumbersome and complex; both senders and recipients had to deploy the technology to use encryption. At odds with the ad hoc nature of e-mail, these e-mail encryption solutions weren’t exactly flying off the shelves. The beauty of e-mail lies in how entrenched it is in our daily lives, its near- instantaneous transmittal, and that you can assume almost everyone has an account (or two or three).