Should I Switch From Email To Secure File Transfer?

Published on January 7, 2018

Try our free 14 day trial today and see why our customers love AMS File Transfer

Secure File transfer is becoming more ingrained in everyday business, and the way in which we handle data is constantly under scrutiny. For most, email is still the preferred method of transfer, however issues can arise with attachment limitations, or when you need a higher level of security & auditability for handling certain types of data.

Current areas of risk can include:

Security & Compliance

Using email helps us send information quickly and easily, which is suitable for certain types of communication, but not all.  Sending unencrypted emails with a password protected file sounds ok, but once the email leaves your computer you lose control and visibility over the data.  Sending a separate email containing the password could expose you to unnecessary risk.

Audit Trail

Tracking tools are a great way of identifying if an email has been delivered or read, however one major downside is having to rely on the receiver to accept the read request.  Sending further emails or phoning to make sure information has been received only adds to the time involved, and you lose control over the information that has now left your organisation.

Recall & Delivery Receipt

Another useful tool when using email is the recall option and in the right circumstances, it can give reassurance to the sender, if they have sent an email or file in error.  One of the pitfalls however is the reliance on the receiver to accept the recall.  This isn’t suitable for some processes and having a true recall option would be far more beneficial, providing greater control over who has access to the file & secure message.

Attachment Size Limitations

Attachment sizes are growing and with email size limitations in place, users are forced to either separate files over several emails or even go in search of alternative solutions.  This could breach internal policies around the use of 3rd party applications, if they haven’t already been blocked by your system administrator.  Having to zip the contents of files & folders to get around restrictions also creates a complicated end user experience, and can still cause problems on the recipient side if they also have email size limitations in place.

AMS Secure File Transfer provides an alternative way of transferring & encrypting sensitive data using 256-bit AES Encryption through our Microsoft Outlook Plugin.  Being able to send from a familiar interface, users will easily adapt to change, become more efficient and will no longer go in search of untrusted software.  Providing a full audit history of every action, and being notified if a message has been read or downloaded, equips you with the extra visibility and enhanced user experience normal email lacks.  True Recall gives you back the control you need on a transfer, at a file and recipient level, and with no file size or file type restrictions, customer relations are kept strong due to the hassle-free experience.

Author: Neil Dorrington
Want to share this post?