Best tools for sharing sensitive data and files

What is sensitive data?
Sensitive data is information organizations prefer to keep confidential due to the potential harm its unauthorized disclosure could cause. When choosing the best tool for sharing sensitive data, consider the critical capabilities needed to keep sensitive data and files secure.

During external collaborations, organizations often need to exchange and share confidential and private content. We’ve previously discussed the best practices for sharing sensitive data and files with external stakeholders, but what are the best tools to support this exchange?

The best tools for sharing sensitive data and files foster trust between organizations, help to minimize risk while sensitive data is being shared, and facilitate the removal or return of data when the external collaboration ends. Below we’ll discuss the critical capabilities of tools for sharing sensitive data and files and determine which of the most commonly used tools accomplish them best. 

Critical capabilities needed to share sensitive data and files securely

In external collaborations that require the exchange of sensitive data and files, secure communication and information sharing are paramount. When selecting a tool to support confidential and private content exchange, look for the following critical capabilities to reduce the risk of breach, inadvertent disclosure, and other security concerns.

• Verified Participants: Verifying the identity of participants before granting access adds an extra layer of security. This helps prevent impersonation attempts and ensures you're sharing information with the intended parties.
• Secure File Sharing:  Secure file sharing protocols safeguard sensitive documents during transfer and storage.
• Trackable Requests: In use cases in which sensitive documents and files are exchanged, the movement of files are often bidirectional. Teams need to send files and often request them from the other party,  and track the fulfillment of those requests.
• Confidential, compartmentalized communications: Integrated private communication channels enable secure discussions around shared content, eliminating the need for insecure email exchanges and keeping all communication centralized.
• Audit Trails: Comprehensive audit trails log activity related to shared files, facilitating accountability and transparency.
• Ephemeral storage: The ability to set expiration dates on shared content ensures information isn't accessible indefinitely, minimizing the risk of exposure.

The best tools for sharing sensitive data and files

Examining the tools and technologies most frequently used for sharing sensitive data and files with external stakeholders, four common approaches emerge: email, file sharing tools, messaging tools, and external collaboration tools. Below we assess whether each of these tools has the critical capabilities to support confidential and private content exchange. 

Detailed Assessments of tools for sharing sensitive data and files

External Collaboration Platforms (TakeTurns)

• Verified Participants: Good (All participants are verified)
• Secure File Sharing: Good (Reduces risk by keeping attachments out of inboxes; parties have complete control over content and can revise, remove, or recall the documents and files at any time)
• Trackable Requests: Good (Track when and how requests are fulfilled)
• Confidential, compartmentalized communications: Good (All communications, documents, and files live in one place inside the secure platform)
• Audit Trails: Good (Provides a complete timeline that includes every document and revision exchanged, request, and message sent, ensuring transparency and accountability for everyone involved)
• Ephemeral Storage: Good (Schedule the removal of confidential content to comply with privacy regulations and avoid data breach risks)

Email Platforms

• Verified Participants: Poor (Email spoofing is rampant, and something as innocuous as a typo in an email address can cause an inadvertent data disclosure)
• Secure File Sharing: Poor (Learn about the Top Email Risks when Sending Sensitive Files)
• Trackable Requests: Poor (Difficult to track what’s been fulfilled and how)
• Confidential, compartmentalized communications: Poor (Email is insecure and not compartmentalized)
• Audit Trails: Poor (The above issues make it nearly impossible to use email as an audit trail)
• Ephemeral Storage: Poor (Email inboxes are notorious data graveyards)

File Sharing Platforms

• Verified Participants: Medium (Often anyone with a link can access files but more advanced settings may be available)
• Secure File Sharing: Good (Good if security settings are configured, reduces risk by keeping attachments out of inboxes)
• Trackable Requests: Poor (Many file sharing platforms are unidirectional and few support document collection requests)
• Confidential, compartmentalized communications: Poor (a secondary communication channel is required)
• Audit Trails: Medium (No audit trails)
• Ephemeral Storage: Poor (Files usually persist unless they are manually removed)

Messaging Platforms

• Verified Participants: Good (Generally verify participants)
• Secure File Sharing: Medium (Designed for synchronous messaging but file sharing and requests are possible but difficult to track)
• Trackable Requests: Poor (Difficult to track what’s been fulfilled and how)
• Confidential, compartmentalized communications: Good (Messaging platforms are designed for compartmentalized communications)
• Audit Trails: Poor (No audit trails)
• Ephemeral Storage: Poor (Files usually persist unless they are manually removed)

Consider an External Collaboration Tool

Reviewing the assessments above, it’s striking to see that the tool most commonly used for sharing sensitive data and files, email, performs the worst against the critical capabilities for accomplishing this task.

In contrast, external collaboration tools like TakeTurns possess all the critical capabilities needed to maintain security when sharing sensitive data and files with external stakeholders. Notably, external collaboration platforms is the only category where tools offer ephemeral storage by default, mitigating risk via the automatic removal of data from the platform’s servers upon the completion of a project (after a specified grace period).

TakeTurns prioritizes control and transparency, creating a secure environment where only verified participants can access information. This greatly minimizes the risk of accidental exposure and ensures information reaches only those who need it.

TakeTurns eliminates the need for insecure email messages and attachments, creating one place to access confidential content with an integrated chat to keep both communications and content centralized and secure. A comprehensive audit trail provides complete transparency and accountability, tracking every document exchange, revision, request, and message.

In the assessment against critical capabilities, TakeTurns stands out as an ideal platform for organizations seeking a secure solution for confidential and private content exchange with external partners.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a tool for sharing sensitive data and files requires careful consideration. Considering the critical capabilities for tools that support confidential and private content exchange reveals that traditional platforms like email often fall short. 

To minimize risk and ensure a smooth exchange process, organizations should leverage tools specifically designed for confidential content exchange with security features like verified participants, secure file sharing, centralized communication, audit trails, and ephemeral storage for automatic removal of sensitive data.

Organizations seeking a secure and efficient solution for sharing sensitive data and files with external stakeholders should consider external collaboration tools like TakeTurns, designed for this purpose with all the critical capabilities required to keep confidential and private content secure.