In the world of data management, there are a wide array companies and services vying to serve you. For data transfer, the best managed file transfer (MFT) companies offer strong encryption and security standards to protect your data. So it is no coincidence that these companies often cater to the needs of a business, since every company must protect its intellectual property and sensitive data from exposure to competitors and thieves. The good news is that the same advanced protection methods that are required for the data transfer of a business is also beneficial for individuals.

So which security aspects are the most important for all MFT customers? In short it’s secure sign-in, encrypted transfers, and encrypted file storage. It is simple, any MFT company not offering these capabilities is not protecting it’s customers.

Secure Sign-in

By definition, every MFT company offers their Software as a Service (SaaS) via a publicly accessible website. This gives the advantage of great accessibility to customers so that no matter where they are in the world, they may access the service. This also means that any unprotected activity on the website is susceptible to hacking. HTTPS will protect you while you use the service. A simple username and password will lock the door to your account, but if they are not encrypted in a HTTPS protocol then a user signing-in on a public Wi-Fi network could have their account exposed. Without HTTPS, accessing a website is akin to shouting your ATM card number and password to your banker in a crowded movie theatre. Using HTTPS is like whispering your ATM card number and password to your banker in a soundproof vault.

Encrypted Transfers

Once you are securely accessing a MFT website with HTTPS your username, password are protected. When a file begins to travel from your computer to the MFT’s file server it is now going to a different place on the internet. This is because file transfers are handled by a different web server than the MFT website. Since it’s going to a different location, this communication transfer must also be encrypted otherwise the data could be intercepted or exposed. These encrypted transfers use a process called secure socket layer (SSL). Using encrypted communication transfers will protect your files while they upload and download. It’s the online equivalent to using an armored car to move your files around.

Encrypted File Storage

Now that you have safely signed-in and transferred your files to the file server you are relying on the MFT provider to keep them safe. Any good MFT service will encrypt these files for you on the file server. If an intruder is somehow able to penetrate the MFT’s file server, any files they access would be effectively scrambled and unusable. Encrypting files while they are in storage is like putting your data in a lock box while it is in an armored car. Each additional security layer helps to keep you safe.

Click here to learn how SendThisFile uses the latest technology to keep customers’ data safe and protected.
SendThisFile lets you send large files to anyone, anywhere.

They say it is often easier to foster understanding by showing how something works than by describing it. This is especially true if you have ever had to talk to someone about how to use a website over the phone.

To help new users and the uninitiated understand what we do, we have created a new Introduction Video. So watch our exclusive video preview below, which will be going up shortly on our homepage.

We feel this video captures the excitement we have for file sharing. If you enjoy using our service, please share our video with your friends and co-workers.

You can never have too much of a good thing.

Microsoft Outlook dominates the business email market. In fact, Gartner Research puts Microsoft Office market share at 94%. If you are a business computer user, it is highly likely that you are using Outlook to handle your emails and file sending.

Given Microsofts success, it may surprise you to learn that Outlook limits the maximum file attachment size that you can send. When you hit the limit you will see the following Outlook error message “Email attachment size exceeds allowable limit.” This can be a big problem for end users who need to send large files as email attachements.

There are 3 reasons why Outlook won’t send large files:

1. Outlook has a default email attachment size limit of 20 megabytes. This limit applies to one large attachment  or several attachments whose sum total size is greater than 20 MB.
2. Outlook is often configured with a Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox, which has a default attachments file size limit of only 10 megabytes.
3. Information Technology (IT) departments will set limits on maximum upload usage to control costs. This will vary depending on your department budget, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) you use, and the ISP plan you have selected.

Given these limits, how can you send large files in Outlook?

Business class Manage File Transfer (MFT) service providers with an Outlook plug-in, such as SendThisFile, will get you around Outlook file size limits without resorting to changing server settings or IT policies for your entire company.

To support our business users we offer a plug-in that integrates with Outlook 2010. Available to any SendThisFile paid plan, this plug-in allows you to send large files from Outlook 2010 directly. You don’t have to leave Outlook and you don’t have to use a web browser.

Our Outlook 2010 plug-in is flexible too. You can set the plug-in to automatically activate for file attachments over a certain size limit. For example, you can set it to use SendThisFile only for files larger than 20 megabytes. You can also set passwords to protect your files on each transfer. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that file transfers can be tracked through exportable file transfer history logs. A great tool for archiving.

Click here learn more about SendThisFiles Outlook 2010 plug-in.