Enterprise IT departments are faced with one of the toughest jobs in the world. Staying one step ahead of cyber criminals and internal threats like “shadow IT” or end users accidentally making enterprise files vulnerable is an endless challenge.
Comprehensive enterprise file security requires a multi-dimensional approach that includes end-to-end encryption and a paradigm of making it a priority to protect data instead of the endpoint device. But this alone is not enough to achieve robust enterprise file security.
Also consider incorporating these technologies into your information security arsenal:
- Geo-fencing, IP-fencing and device-based fencing: Various fencing tools bring another dimension of file security for the enterprise.
Geography-based fencing is useful for enterprises that do business internationally. For instance, if you’re doing business or attending a conference in a country with a reputation for cyber espionage, you might enable geo-fencing on the enterprise data contained on any of the devices your team brings abroad. Such geo-fencing ensures your data is protected, even in an unsecured environment.
Geo-fencing is also useful for international organizations that need to ensure country-specific data isn’t needlessly shared with users in the wrong country. For example, if you have a U.S.-based sales team and a U.K.-based team, your U.S. team won’t likely need access to tax documents relevant to the U.K. Using geo-fencing to block access to such data is a convenient way to help prevent needless mistakes.
Fencing an entire internet protocol (IP) range is useful for extending access to files within the corporate network to IP addresses beyond it. As an example, if you regularly work with contractors or vendors that require access to files in your network, you could extend network access to these third parties based on specific IP addresses.
Device-based fencing allows IT teams to restrict file access to specific devices by pinpointing the device’s hardware ID (for example, the MAC address). If a device’s MAC address is not recognized by the enterprise file security system, access can be denied. Coupled with geo- and IP-fencing and other access controls, device-based fencing becomes an especially useful tool for information rights management. - Enterprise mobility management (EMM): With bring-your-own-device (BYOD) workplaces growing increasingly common around the world, EMM is becoming a necessity. Smart EMM complements tools like enterprise digital rights management (DRM) by managing mobile devices and how data is used on them.
EMM is really an amalgamation of three distinct file security principles: mobile device management (MDM), which controls devices and policies; mobile content management (MCM), which controls data itself; and mobile application management (MAM), which controls application-based communications and sharing.
Robust EMM tools enable a secure BYOD workplace by allowing IT to control how data is stored and shared on mobile devices, as well as how apps on those devices are allowed to access data.
As our world and the technology we rely on become increasingly more mobile, EMM will continue to rise as a leading tool in enterprise file security. - Endpoint encryption and remote wiping: Endpoint encryption helps ensure data remains secure in the event of device loss or theft. Even if a device falls into the wrong hands, if the data is encrypted, access may be controlled. Endpoint encryption is one of the most popular enterprise file security options because it’s both effective and proactive.
But if a device is lost or stolen, it’s good to have a fail-safe measure in place. Although it’s more reactive than proactive, remote device wiping is a useful last resort to ensure your enterprise files remain secure. Remote wiping enables IT teams to erase enterprise data from a device. This is also useful when an end user leaves the organization.
However, remote wiping can be dangerous, especially if the end user (and not the enterprise) owns the device. If IT remotely wipes personal data from an employee’s personal device, the enterprise could face legal penalties and damages to its reputation.
The above three solutions are designed to complement a larger enterprise file security architecture, but they are by no means the only solutions. IT departments are able to leverage a wide variety of tools to promote a more secure file sharing environment without sacrificing productivity or collaboration.
Ready to learn more about the tools you need to maintain enterprise file security wherever your data goes? Read Vaultize’s free whitepaper, 9 Ways To Dramatically Control Enterprise File Security & Access Rights.
