Study reveals dangers of file sharing

A new Investigation by Forrester Research on behalf of Thru reveals that many technology companies risk the security of their data and intellectual property on a daily basis. For the study, titled "Secure Sharing of Intellectual Property," Forrester surveyed CIOs, IT managers, engineers and support staff from leading technology and electronics companies in Germany, the US and the UK.

Problems protecting intellectual property
The results of the study show that three quarters of all companies surveyed have problems protecting their intellectual property because they use the outdated FTP (File Transfer Protocol), are negligent in their use of e-mail, or employees use free file-sharing services such as GoogleDrive or Dropbox to share files, unnoticed by IT. It became apparent that company executives are well aware of the dangers to their companies, but do not have the necessary control and insight into the movements of their data.
When asked which file sharing options companies use, e-mail was the first choice with 75%, followed by FTP with 51%. Free services in the public cloud followed in third place with almost 50%. Only a quarter of all companies use Managed File Transfer (MFT) to exchange data. Rather surprisingly, a good 16% of the companies participating in the survey still use DVDs, USB sticks or other transportable options to share large files.

Development teams use email and free cloud services
The report goes into further detail and examines how companies' support teams, development engineers and software teams share their data. Forrester concludes that insecure methods are being used in these sensitive areas as well. Development teams equally use email and free cloud services (57% each) to share software versions and updates. Similarly, support teams share software updates and bug logs to 66% via free cloud services and to 62% via email. According to Forrester, these companies are not only risking the trust of their customers, but possibly also an innovation advantage if data falls into the wrong hands.

When asked about the specific problems with sharing data, versions of software updates and source code were cited. According to the survey, 84% of all companies surveyed have problems getting their software developers to collaborate effectively with current applications. An almost equal number (82%) struggle to find a secure way to deliver software to customers and partners. The study emphasizes that visibility into transactions is an important factor when sharing data with external audiences. Without it, control over intellectual property can quickly be lost without anyone noticing. Although there are more secure methods of sharing data, many companies are hesitant to rely on such solutions, despite very good arguments.

Why no secure solutions?

Why are companies reluctant to adopt new, more secure solutions? The answers according to the study:

• 72% do not want to purchase a new solution in order not to build a new data silo
• 80% care about the security of their data when mobile devices are lost.
• 54% have concerns with data sovereignty for offerings that are hosted only in the cloud
• 48% are concerned not to know when and by whom data is distributed, copied and downloaded.

Forrester asked the participating companies what they specifically expect from an enterprise file sharing solution. 60% expect increased productivity and reduced costs from such a solution. For 69%, it is important that the solution can be integrated with existing tools in the company. For 59%, increased security is an important goal of a new solution.
Forrester therefore advises companies to become active and to part with free cloud services and FTP. As an alternative, only solutions developed specifically for companies that are both very secure and easy to integrate into existing applications and processes can be considered.

Source: Press release Thru