Top 5 reasons why you shouldn't use email to transfer data files

We all use email on a daily basis as our primary method of communication. Countless emails are sent across the world with the majority of legitimate emails usually finding their destination, but the same cannot always be said for emails carrying large attachments.

ICO issues heavy fine for FTP breach

A lettings agency who used FTP to transfer sensitive personal data, has been fined.

The biggest data security risk comes from within

An organisation is far more likely to be become a victim of data theft from within, than from external threats.

Accidental disclosure of data

Accidental disclosure of data is probably a greater risk to you than data theft from hacking.

What’s all the fuss about AES-256 encryption?

First of all, what is it?

256 bit encryption is a data encryption technique that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data or files. It is one of the most secure encryption methods and is used in most modern encryption algorithms, protocols and technologies including AES and SSL.

It’s 2018. In a post-GDPR world and people are still sending data by email…

One of the problems with GDPR, is that it doesn’t state exactly what people should do when it comes to securing personal data. Businesses should use appropriate organisational and technical measures to protect data, which is pretty vague and open to interpretation.

Using FTP to transfer and receive data files?

Aside from using email (which has its’ own issues), using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to transfer data is still one of the most widely used mechanisms.

Should staff be using free cloud based transfer apps to send data files?

In short. No.

Often these applications are used outside the scope of the IT department and those responsible for IT security and GDPR compliance within an organisation.