file transfers

The transfer of files between organizations, customers, and business partners, among others can be challenging. It is, however, a necessity for all these partners to meet their obligations and operate without any problems.

Modern organizations are supposed to find ways of supporting increasing file sizes, user numbers, volumes, and types under limited budgets. In addition, they are required to observe strict security requirements to ensure that their data is secure.

But how can they implement seamless file transfer protocols without failure? This is a challenge most businesses face. Fortunately, they can overcome some of the common reasons why file transfers fail. 

Here are the problems and how to overcome them;

Security

Security is the biggest concern for organizations when transferring files. Some file transfer protocols can be intercepted easily. When this happens, anyone can easily access and understand the data being transferred since most of it is usually in plain text.

In addition, some encryption protocols used by these file transfer protocols can be deciphered easily. This means that your file transfer is left exposed to vulnerabilities. If someone gains access to the data being transferred, they might alter it or stop the transfer.

Solution: Organizations that need to overcome issues with big data security during file transfer should invest in a hosted file transfer solution. This is because such solutions come with multiple in-built security measures such as HTTPS, SFTP, and FTPS, among others.

Scalability

As your business grows, you need to ensure that the software applications that you use can grow with you. This is important, especially when it comes to viability and cost for your organization. It also helps you grow without any problems.

Let us take an example where you have used an application such as Signiant for point-to-point file transfers and basic workflow integration. However, your business is growing and you want to synchronize, distribute, or ingest files. Can Signiant work for you? Of course, not.

Solution: In such a situation, you have no option but to look for Signiant alternatives for large file transfers. As your organization grows, these alternatives will handle everything thrown at them and allow you to scale without any problems.

Loss of File Control

Some file transfer protocols offer little to no control over files during their (the files) transfer. After sending the files, organizations cannot control who uses them or how they are used. In addition, they cannot control how long the recipients can keep the files.

This is a very common challenge within most organizations. If something happens on the other end, the sending organization cannot determine what happened.

Solution: Organizations should use a file transfer protocol that comes with built-in features that allow them to manage data even after it has been transferred. They can share files using links that expire and limit access depending on their requirements.

Reporting Limitations

Most organizations use simple transfer protocols that allow them to send data from one place to another. However, challenges arise, especially when something disrupts the transfer. When an error occurs and the transfer fails, these protocols do not report what happened.

If, for instance, the failed transfer is caused by a data breach, organizations will not have a way of finding where the breach occurred. In addition, some transfer protocols lack status updates, meaning that organizations do not know the state of sent or received data.

Solution: The solution to this challenge is simple. Organizations should use transfer protocols that have reporting features. Some of these protocols allow them to generate reports to get insights on user activity and data transfers.

Restricted Access

Some organizations use file transfer protocols that make it difficult for them to see the people accessing their files. This is because these protocols do not allow them to restrict access to their files. They lack transparency to see the people sharing, downloading, and uploading files.

In addition, these protocols make it impossible for organizations to access their servers remotely. If a file transfer fails due to issues with restricting access, organizations are not able to determine why the file transfer failed.

Solution: Organizations can rely on a cloud platform to overcome challenges with restricted access. With role assignments, they can set clear roles for people. This helps them understand who is doing what and at what time. 

Data transfer is an important part of all organizations. Technology advancement has connected organizations, meaning that they rely on each other. However, failed file transfers can affect these connections, something that can hurt operations and profitability.