Secure File Transfer: What It Is and Why It is Important
File transfer refers to the exchange of data files between computer systems. File transfer is copying or moving a file from one computer to another over an internet or network connection. It facilitates sharing, transferring, or transmitting a file or a logical data object between different users and computers both locally and remotely. Data files may be structured or unstructured — including documents, graphics, multimedia, text, and PDFs. They can be transferred using download or upload and shared inside or outside the enterprise.
Why File Transfer is Important
File transfer is at the core of business procedures. Companies routinely exchange data internally and with suppliers, customers, and partners every day. Whether they need to move batch transactions to an outsourced payroll provider or send a digital video for a marketing campaign, they must be able to transfer data securely and efficiently. Organizations continue to rely on file transfers for sharing digital information. More than 50 percent of all systems integration is done through web transfer.
The transfer of business-critical data is crucial in industries from financial and banking services to defense and manufacturing. For a business to run smoothly, constantly evolving and emerging forms of digital data, packaged in the form of files, must be transferred, duplicated, synchronized and shared.
Key Features of the Effective File Transfer
Advanced file transfer solutions deliver high-performance capabilities to support the reliable flow of digital content. They include the latest security components to protect sensitive information being shared. At the same time, they offer operational visibility over file movement to detect issues like failed transfers or delays.
Key file transfer capabilities to look for:
- High performance. Moves data over any distance and can reach up to multiple gigabit-per-second speeds, supporting thousands of concurrent transfer sessions.
- Full visibility. Provides a complete view in real-time. Companies can see who is sharing files, what is being shared, and the volume passing through the system.
- Security. Includes secure protocols, encryption of external and internal transfers, and digital signatures. Offers capabilities like protocol inspection and session breaks to protect sensitive data at multiple layers.
Public and private cloud. It can be deployed in a hybrid or cloud infrastructure, taking the benefit of unlimited storage, higher availability, and transfer scale-out.