Free SFTP Software vs. Enterprise-Level SFTP Solutions In general, people like free things. Beverages, company lunches, swag at tradeshows and conferences, t-shirts and socks, those intriguing items in the “For Free” box at your local yard sale… You can’t go wrong with free, right? Well, coffee you don’t have to pay for is great, but the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” exists for a...

Moving sensitive, often-proprietary files from one person—or organization—to another has become a complex aspect of the business world today. This complexity comes not only from the size and number of files that need to be shared, but also from the need to protect them at all points during their journey from sender to receiver. Even though there are excellent solutions available for secure file...

There are many benefits to having a managed file transfer solution that supports built-in cloud integrations. From trading important files with business partners in Dropbox to automatically updating billing information in Salesforce from a central location, web app integrations in an MFT solution can simplify your critical file transfer and business processes even more than usual. Last year, the...

Managed File Transfer: A New Cybersecurity Strategy for Sensitive Files Earlier this month, independent news platform Patch reported that Neiman Marcus, a department store chain in the US, has finally agreed to a settlement for their 2014 data breach. They’ll need to "pay $1.5 million and adopt measures to prevent hacks," measures that include the encryption of card data, the use of "industry...

Here’s a fun fact: When it comes to streamlining file transfer processes, secure FTP automation software is the supporting sidekick to any IT or cybersecurity professional. Like Robin supports Batman and Hawkeye supports Marvel’s Avengers, automatic file transfer software can support your pursuit for top notch cybersecurity, compliance, and encryption practices. This software can run tasks...

So you’re looking for a way to securely share files with your team. Great! There are plenty of tools you can use today to collaborate and share documents as projects arise. Some are on-premises and other in the cloud, meaning you’ll likely find a solution that meets your organization’s unique needs. But are these commercial file sharing tools right for you? Let’s take a look. When people think of...

Every year, organizations hope that statistics for data breaches will improve, that things will be better than the year before. And every year, they are dismayed to discover that even though they’re pulling in new cybersecurity tactics to thwart cyber attacks, so are hackers pulling in new methods to discover their organizations’ weakest vulnerabilities. It’s frustrating, to say the least. What’s...

Whether you’re looking to upgrade from your current FTP file transfers or have new requirements from a trading partner or customer, you might be wondering what FTPS is. You may ask: how does FTPS work, and does it differ from secure file transfer protocols like SFTP and AS2? Good questions. Let’s start by defining what FTPS is. What is FTPS? At its core, FTPS (FTP over SSL) is a secure file...

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the efficiency of your file transfers right now? If you use manual scripts, legacy software, or a myriad of free tools to balance your encryption, automation, cybersecurity, reporting, and collaboration needs, it’s possible you’ll rate your efficiency low on the scale. After all, professionals in banking and finance have a lot to worry about. From expanding...

When it comes to the digital oilfield, High-Performance Computing (HPC) is an asset to be relied upon. From upstream discovery and the mapping of ocean floors to production, optimization and design; powerful HPC systems are analyzing, interpreting and manipulating unfathomable amounts of data. FileCatalyst has been helping a number of natural resources companies accelerate their workflows by...

SFTP, or MFT: that is the question. Even though we’re not all famous poets like William Shakespeare, many IT professionals will ask this question at some point or another. Should they use an SFTP or managed file transfer (MFT) solution to transfer sensitive files securely—and why? It brings up an interesting choice. By nature, SFTP and MFT solutions both work to protect data in transit. They both...

Banks and financial institutions, take note: though the year is almost over, no one is safe from a data breach. Industries across the board have seen 4.5 million records stolen so far in 2018—a staggering 133% increase over those compromised in 2017 . As you create updated cybersecurity plans and data breach prevention strategies for the new year, it’s imperative to look at how you’re securing...

HAL 9000 might be closer, more useful and friendlier than we think. Artificial Intelligence (AI) might not be here in a fully realized form yet, but it’s already disrupting a lot of industries that we work in. As our customers discuss, question and evaluate the ways they can leverage AI to help streamline their workflows, I thought that I’d share some of the ways industry leaders leverage AI...

Since returning from IBC 2018, I have been thinking about IP-based workflows and the great discussions we had about this emerging trend at our booth. While IP-based workflows are seeing increased adoption and bringing new opportunities, there are also challenges ahead. IP-based workflows aren’t exactly new, but adoption has greatly increased in the media space as of late. Global companies with far...

As companies recognize a need for a solution that meets their file transfer, automation, and encryption needs, the question often arises: what is managed file transfer (MFT) and how is it different from my current file transfer processes? What "Managed File Transfer" Means At its core, managed file transfer (MFT) is a secure solution that meets all aspects of inbound and outbound file transfers...

What’s the true cost of downtime for your organization? You may think of it in terms of lost revenue—according to studies released in the last couple years, the average cost of system-wide downtime is $100,000 an hour, and that’s on the low end (it can get up to $300,000 or more). But there are other factors involved in the price of downtime that can hurt a company’s productivity and resources...

This year was another successful IBC for FileCatalyst, and we thank everyone who visited us. Our booth was bustling with activity; from people asking questions about how our fast file transfer solutions can fit in their workflow to people engaged with our in-depth demos that walked them through the user experience firsthand. Big thanks to every attendee that stopped by our booth, we are already...

How do you transfer sensitive files? Business requirements and security standards have increased in recent years across industries and continents, but many organizations have struggled to keep up. Manual scripts, legacy tools, and single-use software are still utilized by IT and security teams despite their risks, causing more problems than they solve. In fact, a good majority of our secure file...

When we attend trade shows, like the IBC Show on the horizon, our FileCatalyst World Speed Chart always garners attention and starts conversations at our booth. The question people always ask about it is, “How?” And I can’t blame them. To take a file that would usually take five hours to transfer, and do it in 8.4 seconds is quite a feat. So, to demystify our World Speed Chart, I thought I would...

Are you looking for a solution that automates the movement of files between your on-premises and cloud environments? As cloud computing platforms become more commonplace, organizations are starting to shift their file transfer processes from in-house tools and scripts to secure solutions that promote strong cybersecurity practices, user management, auditing and reporting functionality, and high...