Tech

7 Tips for Safe Business File Sharing

Kirk Montagne, IT Operations Manager

February 20, 2017

At Lutz, we're constantly sending and receiving confidential client information—financial statements, tax documents, social security numbers—which is why we take extensive measures to ensure this information is sent and received securely. In this post, we discuss the security features we utilize, recommend for our clients, and help our clients implement.

Security Training

In order for an office to protect itself, employees must be properly trained to understand common security risks and scam attempts they'll encounter so they can make appropriate decisions when sending and receiving important information. When training our own employees, we cover threats that exist via email in great detail. Whether it's suspicious links included in an email that can provide access to confidential information or email scams requesting payments that appear to be sent from top-level executives, emails are prone to security risks. What we stress to our team is to take additional precautions before opening an email that they weren't expecting or if something doesn't seem right. We recommend giving the person who sent the email a quick call to verify that they actually sent the email in question before opening or taking action. Outside of email, we train our team to not leave their computers visible in their cars or plug in flash drives at the office. We also train our Managed Service clients to understand and identify threats they might encounter via email and other sources. Some of the things we work through with our clients include steps like making sure the firewall is secure and up-to-date, ensuring computers have the latest anti-virus software, and training on the risks mentioned above. The truth is that there are countless security risks, but with proper training, companies are in much better positions to avoid security mishaps. When the entire company understands common risks and the right process to take when something doesn't seem right, it has an incredible impact.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is an extra step we take to ensure that only our employees can access our VPN. In order for our employees to log in to work remotely, they must be registered through our system and have a specialized app on their phones that only our employees have access to. When they log in remotely, a code is then sent to their phone that they must enter to complete the connection to the VPN. For companies that have highly sensitive information that must remain secure and employees who work remotely, this is a precaution we highly advise and will help to set up.

Hard Drive Encryption

In many Windows machines, specifically, machines running Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Windows 10 Enterprise (but not Windows Professional), a hard drive encryption system called BitLocker is built into the machine that will help to protect you from offline physical security attacks. By encrypting your hard drive using BitLocker technology, every time your machine is booted, it requires the user to enter a code. And even if someone attempts to remove the hard drive and use it in another machine, they won't be able to. To maximize the benefits of having encrypted hard drives, users should shut down their computer while traveling. By shutting the computer down, if the computer is stolen, the attacker would have to reboot the computer and therefore enter the code.

File Encryption Software

On a daily basis, we're sending and receiving information that must be transferred securely. This information includes tax documents with social security information, health care information, and more. Not only is it a top priority for us to keep our clients' information secure as it's sent back and forth, but we also have to meet HIPAA compliance guidelines. In order to achieve this, we use ShareFile, a secure file-sharing software. All information sent via ShareFile is encrypted. This allows us to send and receive information securely in multiple ways. We can either send a link via email where documents can be attached or have a portal where our clients can sign in to upload documents. When sending sensitive information, we highly advise using file encryption software. Sending through standard email or even using solutions like Dropbox could leave you susceptible. Take every precaution when sending information that can't fall in the wrong hands. Because of the nature of our business, protecting sensitive information is always top of mind. By sharing some of the things we do to protect information, including training, two-factor authentication, hard drive encryption, and file encryption software, we hope to provide you with options for protecting your own business. If improving the security of the information at your business is something you need, contact us today. Our Outsourced IT Service team specializes in both online and offline security and can help you achieve the level of security that is appropriate for you.

Responsibility, Harmony, Context, Consistency, Relator

Kirk Montagne

IT Operations Manager

Kirk Montagne, IT Operations Manager, began his career in 1994. With more than three decades of IT experience, including over 20 years leading internal operations at Lutz, he brings a deep understanding of how to keep systems secure, stable, and strategically aligned with business goals.

Overseeing the development, support, and security of Lutz’s in-house IT operations, he ensures the performance and reliability of the firm’s infrastructure. He takes pride in making the complex simple—whether it’s refining policies, improving workflows, or supporting strategic decisions—and finds fulfillment in helping people solve problems and succeed.

Kirk lives in Omaha, NE, with his dog, a boxer named Stella. Outside the office, you can find him cheering on Hawkeye’s football and the Kansas City Chiefs, cycling, exercising, and catching live music.

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About

7 Tips for Safe Business File Sharing

Security Training

Two-Factor Authentication

Hard Drive Encryption

File Encryption Software

Kirk Montagne

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