Maybe you had a bad experience with your incumbent managed file transfer (MFT) solution vendor. Maybe you’ve hit a performance and capacity wall with that free MFT-ish software. Maybe the person who cobbled together that DIY system you’ve been using left the company and no one else knows how to keep it running. Or maybe you have seen your peers’ reputations sullied over data breaches or HIPAA violations and you want to fix things before the law of averages catches up to you.
Whatever your motivation, you’re in the market for a managed file transfer solution and you’re wrestling with the question, “Which MFT is right for me?” You’ve come to the right place.
What is Managed File Transfer?
First, let’s define managed file transfer. A managed file transfer (MFT) solution is a secure, reliable way of automating file sharing between two systems, organizations, or users. MFT solutions are used to ensure compliance, security, and operational efficiency when sending or receiving sensitive, business critical data. This is important when you want to avoid common errors and cyber-threats that conspire to compromise data integrity resulting in a data breach. It’s also why a good MFT solution should be secure-by-design and include features that make securing files simple.
We should know. Coviant Software has been making award-winning managed file transfer software for more than two decades. We take managed file transfer security seriously. During that time our products have never been compromised by threat actors. We also know what features enterprises value (and which they don’t) because we listen to our customers, so this isn’t our opinion; it’s what people who buy and use managed file transfer software think.
Key Features to a Secure Managed File Transfer Solution
Here are some of the key features to look for in a managed file transfer solution:
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Secure-by-Design: A lot of very sensitive information will be handled by your managed file transfer solution. Some of that information (healthcare, financial, personal) is subject to strict regulations. You need an MFT solution that can’t be easily compromised by threat actors and that has built-in controls and automations that ensure data integrity and security at every step.
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Enterprise Grade: The world still runs on files, so even if you aren’t one of the largest organizations in your industry, you want a managed file transfer solution that can handle the biggest files and most difficult job schedules you have for it. And you want an MFT solution that can grow with you.
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Automated: A lot can go wrong if you rely on people to send sensitive information manually. They might send it to the wrong place. They might not encrypt sensitive data. They might send a file at the wrong time. They might not send it at all. It doesn’t mean they are bad people; it just means that people make mistakes. Automation minimizes the risk of error and maximizes efficiency, productivity, reliability, and security.
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Auditable: Capturing the information behind each file transfer is important for two reasons. If something goes wrong, you can look back and see what happened so that you can rectify the situation. Also, if there’s ever a question about whether you were in compliance with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, GLBA, or any other data security or privacy law, you have proof that you did what you were supposed to.
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Easy-to-Use: Complexity is the enemy of security and productivity. If a tool is difficult to use, people will find a way around it—usually an unsecure way. The MFT solution you choose should be easy to install, easy to use, and easy to maintain.
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Backed by Top-Notch Support: When you purchase any product, it’s good to know that the company that makes it will stand behind it with customer and technical support that says, “We appreciate the trust you’ve placed in us and are determined to prove that you made the right decision.”
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Priced Fairly: Managed file transfer software isn’t trendy; it is a mature technology that has one job—to reliably send, receive, archive, and retrieve important business files on time, every time. That’s a lot of responsibility, but it shouldn’t cost a lot of money.
Choosing a Good Managed File Transfer Solution
You should talk to as many managed file transfer software vendors as you can when evaluating your choices. But since you’re already here, I feel obligated to let you know that Coviant Software checks every box you need for quickly, efficiently, securely, and easily automating your file transfer load. And we’ve also built in some nifty features designed to specifically address compliance for regulations like HIPAA. What should you look for in an MFT solution? Here are a few highlights:
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Automated PGP encryption management
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Support for elliptical curve cryptography and NIST post-quantum encryption standards
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Role-based access and administration privileges
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Multi-factor authentication and support for authenticator applications
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Full data capture for audit reporting
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One-click network mapping and documentation
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Unlimited and concurrent job scheduling
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Easy integration with hundreds of business applications and cloud services
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Destination confirmation and automated trouble reporting
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Award-winning customer and technical support
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Ethical, transparent pricing
Ready to modernize your file transfers? Try Diplomat MFT today or schedule a demo to see why organizations trust us with their most sensitive data.