Seven Key Attributes of a Managed File Transfer Platform
If you are in the market for a secure, managed file transfer solution (and why wouldn’t you be?), there are seven things you should look for during your evaluation process. If the product you’re looking at doesn’t satisfy all seven of these features and benefits, keep looking.
The goal at Coviant Software has always been to deliver a managed file transfer platform that keeps pace with the market. We’ve spent fifteen years listening to our customers, evolving with the times, and striving to translate that hard-earned experience into a product that exceeds expectations. Because of that commitment, the Diplomat MFT family of products checks each of the boxes you need it to. We engineered it that way.
Here are the Seven Key Attributes of a Managed File Transfer Platform:
Security
Because the contents of the files you’ll be transferring include a lot of sensitive, regulated data, security should be top of the list. If your MFT solution doesn’t support common encryption formats like PGP to secure data at rest and in motion, if it can’t handle the key management systems used by cloud storage services, or if it is not compatible with the SFTP protocol, move along. Reliability is an important aspect of security. If your managed file transfer platform can’t be counted on, you’ll be prone to exposure through malfunction and human error. Critical file transfers need to happen without failure to minimize risk and ensure business continuity.
Documentation & Auditability
Managed file transfer is a key part of complying with many key regulations, like HIPAA-HITECH, GDPR, PCI-DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, and all the various state and federal data security laws. Each requires that organizations document their processes to prove compliance whenever audited. That means your MFT platform should include full auditability of what goes on in your MFT system, keeping records of all file transfers and admin activity. If your MFT platform doesn’t support documentation and audit, it falls short of a vital compliance requirement.
Cloud Service Compatibility
While today’s enterprises shouldn’t rely on cloud-based file sharing services for their managed file transfer duties, the fact is services like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, ShareFile, and others are all popular and in wide use. The ability of MFT software to integrate with these services is therefore critical to ensuring complete, end-to-end managed file transfer capabilities at every level of the organization.At the same time, there is an increased adoption of cloud storage solutions like AWS S3, Azure Storage, Google Cloud Storage, or Oracle Cloud Storage as a cost-effective, reliable method of storing files or as a way to deposit or receive files from trading partners. A robust MFT solution, like Diplomat MFT, will seamlessly integrate
with these options as well.
Standards Support
Technology relies on all kinds of standards to operate effectively, efficiently, and securely. In addition to supporting security standards like PGP and SFTP, your managed file transfer solution must be flexible enough to handle legacy protocols, like FTP and FTPS, which are still the only protocols that certain vendors, trading partners, and government agencies will support. Similarly, some industries require a more specialized protocol, like AS2, which adds digital signatures, receipts, and file transfer semantics to the HTTPS protocol. It’s a complex world of interoperability; your MFT platform should make it easier to navigate.
Simplicity
Native support for communications standards is one way your managed file transfer platform should help simplify day-to-day operations, but it goes well beyond
that. Products that are not easy to use can be counterproductive, causing your staff to take shortcuts that can undermine security. Some MFT products tout seemingly endless customizability, but that puts the burden on the user to figure out how to get up and running. Coviant Software has invested more than fifteen years of experience into Diplomat MFT, delivering a product with simple, intuitive controls with a lot of know-how under the hood. We believe that, if your MFT isn’t out-of-the-box simple, and ready to go within minutes of purchase, it’s probably too complicated.
Automation
Human error is often cited as the most common cause of a data breach. Despite our best efforts, people are prone to make mistakes, which is why automation is a vital component to keeping managed file transfers secure. After all, automated file transfers should be set-it-and-forget-it (which Diplomat MFT does as well—or better—than anyone). But when something on the other end breaks or changes (passwords or keys expire, systems move to new addresses or domain names, or folder and file names change for unknown reasons), you need your MFT solution to alert humans that the automated process needs attention. That can include sending alerts over email, Slack, or MS Teams. Humans should not need to get involved… until they need to. And when they need to be involved, they should be alerted quickly, and with appropriate details so that triage can take place quickly. If your MFT platform asks a lot of you, you should ask more of your MFT platform instead.
Value
The fact is, managed file transfer is a mature technology that has broad and important Whether you are a multi-billion-dollar, multi-national organization with complex, highly regulated data transfer needs, or a small medical office tasked with sending patient files across town, MFT should be accessible, simple, and usable no matter the scale. 
Coviant Software wants every organization to have the ability to keep data safe, and so we price our products at a value that puts secure, managed file transfers within reach of everyone. In fact, DiplomatMFT is priced less than half of what vendors like GoAnywhere, Globalscape, or IpSwitch charge for their base level platforms.
Coviant Software wants every organization to have the ability to keep data safe, and so we price our products at a value that puts secure, managed file transfers within reach of everyone. In fact, DiplomatMFT is priced less than half of what vendors like GoAnywhere, Globalscape, or IpSwitch charge for their base level platforms.Now that you know what to look for in a secure, managed file transfer platform, why not try out our Diplomat MFT software for free and see what you think? Fill out the form below, or click here to request a demonstration.
Diplomat MFT: Full-featured managed file transfer–for a fraction of the cost.
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