Synch & Scare …
Should businesses be in sync with how they share documents or should they be scared for their life?
by Raquel Cordeiro, MBA Candidate
There is little to no separation between personal and professional devices for consumers in today’s digital age. Why might you ask? The reason is the need for consumers to access information at any time, any place, on any device. There are no signs of the demand for access to information to stop as data and the number of devices per user grows. Gartner states, “By 2018, 60% of users in mature markets will own and use more than three personal devices with a screen” (Zimmermann et al., 2015).
One of the biggest threats an IT department faces today as consumers demand access to information on each device: file-sharing. Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud are several cloud-based file-sharing platforms consumers use nearly every day to share files. The challenge for IT is that these platforms are not only being used for sharing personal files, but they are now being used in
professional settings.
Approximately, “39 percent of corporate data that is uploaded to the cloud is related to file sharing applications… more than any other category” (Kepes, 2015). Employees use file-sharing platforms because they find them simple, easy to use, and cost effective. The cycle begins when an employee sends an email to a coworker with multiple attachments. Due to capacity restrictions, the email fails to deliver and the employee looks for new options. They create a personal account on Dropbox, for example. Finally, they download the Dropbox app to each of their devices and can access those files when, where, and how they choose to.
Here are three examples where file-sharing exists in nearly every organization today:
- Cross-functionally across internal departments
Jane is Vice President of the New Product Development team at Darling Designs. Her team has developed a proof of concept for its latest product. Jane asks an associate, Larry, to share a folder with details on the new product’s specifications, with the Marketing Department to begin preparing advertisements for its launch. The Marketing Department now has access to every new product Jane’s team has created.
- External business with third-parties
Jane now asks Larry to share the folder with an external engineering firm who has helped with the design features of the new product. This third-party now has access to confidential organization information.
- Employee leaves the company
Perhaps the most threatening to IT departments would happen if Larry decides to leave the company for a competitor. He has the ability to access confidential information from his previous employer indefinitely.
Why should IT react?
Whether or not you have seen one of these scenarios, IT departments must respond to employees’ demands to share documents. First, IT must react to keep corporate information confidential. As soon as corporate documents exist in Dropbox, IT loses visibility and control of the information. This can result in increased risk to the organization due to data loss of sensitive information.
Secondly, IT must react to decrease potential threats from hackers. Using cloud-based file sharing platforms, increases the susceptibility of the network to a breach. In the past, hackers have damaged an organizations brand and even destroyed them. It is crucial for processes to be put in place on how to best address file-sharing for employees.
How can IT and employees take action?
Neither IT nor the business is solely responsible for the lack of attention towards file-sharing. Together, IT and the business should educate, implement, and train each other on a solution to prevent these threats.
- The lack of education around file-sharing is apparent by both parties. IT departments are hesitant to admit unsecure platforms are being used to share corporate documents. Employees aren’t informed about the threats file-sharing causes its organization. Often times an enterprise solution for file-sharing exists, but employees aren’t aware. Educating IT and employees on the proper use of file-sharing procedures will increase awareness and limit the use of unsecure platforms.
- Implementing a solution that provides visibility and control to IT is crucial. Equally important, employees need a solution that integrates seamlessly within all aspects of their everyday work. It must be simple and easy to use for a change to be made from the way it’s always been done.
- Any solution requires proper training. IT needs training on how the solution integrates with current information systems. While, employees need training on how an enterprise system integrates into their daily environment. Providing hands-on training will encourage use of a secure platform across the organization.
Employees have long searched for new ways to share files. Mobility within their job requires constant access to data, scalability, and centralization of documents. These characteristics lead to greater productivity for employees. By educating, training, and implementing IT and employees on an enterprise file-sharing system, businesses can solve privacy and security issues.
Don’t be scared, start with these steps to sync and care!