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Managed File Transfer Strategies for Secure Communication Between Government Agencies

by Tim Freestone updated February 16, 2024 Managed File Transfer

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Effective collaboration is a critical pillar of successful government operations. It facilitates the seamless exchange of information, fostering transparency, efficiency, and productivity within and between agencies. A significant part of this collaboration involves the transfer of files, some of which may be highly sensitive, hence needing to be handled discretely and securely.

These files may range from personnel information and confidential internal memos to classified intelligence briefings and financial data. The nature and sensitivity of such files necessitate a communication process that not only guarantees secure and prompt delivery, but also ensures integrity, confidentiality, and non–repudiation. Enter managed file transfer (MFT).

In this post, we’ll take a close look at what a modern managed file transfer solution looks like and list the security, compliance, automation, and efficiency features a managed file transfer solution should have to facilitate collaborations within and between government agencies.

Still debating between FTP and managed file transfer? Here are six reasons why managed file transfer is better than FTP .

The Importance of Collaboration in Government Agencies

The importance of collaboration within and between government agencies cannot be overstated. The ability to work together not only maximizes the use of limited resources, but also enables agencies to deliver more effective and efficient public services.

A critical aspect of this collaboration involves managed file transfer, which allows agencies to securely exchange files, thus enhancing the productivity of joint endeavors. Managed file transfer can be utilized in myriad ways to foster collaboration within and among government agencies. Some examples include:

Law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and national levels can exchange critical confidential information about ongoing investigations. Intelligent use of managed file transfer ensures that sensitive data is shared securely while maintaining its confidentiality and integrity.
Agencies involved in health services can transfer public health data between districts, states, and even countries. This streamlines the process of conducting nationwide health initiatives or tackling public health crises, such as the COVID–19 pandemic , by enabling swift, secure data transfer.
Federal agencies in the field of scientific research like NASA, NOAA, and USGS frequently exchange terabytes of data related to climate change, space exploration, and geospatial studies. With managed file transfer, these exchanges are made securely, ensuring that important research data is not compromised.

In essence, managed file transfer plays a pivotal role in bringing different government agencies together to achieve common objectives. Through its ability to provide secure, controlled data exchange, managed file transfer is an essential tool for collaboration. Without it, the ability of these agencies to partner on projects or complete initiatives are seriously hindered.

Managed File Transfer Strategies for Secure Communication Between Government Agencies

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Importance of Collaboration:
Effective collaboration is essential for government agencies to maximize resources and deliver efficient public services. MFT plays a crucial role in facilitating joint endeavors and enhancing productivity.
Security and Compliance Requirements:
MFT solutions must prioritize security and compliance, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. Critical features include encryption, access controls, and audit capabilities.
Automation Enhances Efficiency:
Automation is key for operational efficiency and reliability. MFT solutions should support automated file transfers, reducing manual effort, minimizing errors, and ensuring timely data delivery.
MFT Efficiency and Benefits:
Efficient MFT solutions enable fast, reliable, and seamless file transfers without hindering workflow. They support large file transfers, bandwidth optimization, and user-friendly interfaces.
MFT and Non-compliance Risks:
Not using a secure MFT solution exposes government agencies to data breaches, penalties, inefficient processes, and loss of public trust.

Key Managed File Transfer Solution Requirements for Government Agencies

In the quest to facilitate necessary collaboration within and between agencies, a managed file transfer solution must meet certain strict requirements. These requirements can be categorized into three core pillars: security and compliance, automation, and efficiency.

Managed File Transfer for Security and Compliance

Given the sensitivity of the data shared between government agencies, security is a primary requirement for any managed file transfer solution. The MFT solution must be capable of protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (cia-triad) of the data in transit and at rest. This involves the implementation of robust encryption standards, secure authentication protocols, and comprehensive access control mechanisms.

Additionally, the managed file transfer solution must ensure compliance with existing governmental and industry–specific regulations such as the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), National Institute of Standards and Technology SP 800-171 (NIST 800-171), and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

Moreover, the managed file transfer solution should provide detailed audit logs and reporting features to allow for the monitoring and tracking of all file transfer activities. This is necessary for ensuring accountability, facilitating forensic investigations when needed, and demonstrating regulatory compliance during audits.

Managed File Transfer for Automation

Automation is crucial for operational efficiency and reliability. Therefore, a suitable managed file transfer solution should support automated file transfers, which can significantly reduce the time and effort required for manual data exchange. Automated managed file transfer can also minimize human error, optimize workflows, ensure timely data delivery, and enhance overall productivity.

Automation in managed file transfer solutions should be flexible enough to support various triggers such as schedule–based, event–driven, or manual file transfers. Additionally, the solution should allow for the automation of post–transfer actions such as the execution of scripts or sending notifications, thereby streamlining the entire file transfer process.

Managed File Transfer for Efficiency

Apart from security and automation, efficiency is another crucial requirement for a managed file transfer solution. The MFT platform should provide fast, reliable, and seamless file transfer capabilities without hindering the normal workflow of the agencies involved. It should also support the transfer of large files and high volumes of data without performance degradation, while providing features like bandwidth throttling and checkpoint restart to optimize network usage and ensure reliable data delivery even in case of network failures.

Furthermore, the managed file transfer solution should be easy to deploy, manage, and use, providing a user–friendly interface and comprehensive support to save time and reduce the learning curve for users. Integration capabilities with existing systems and applications are also important for ensuring a smooth and efficient data exchange process.

Managed File Transfer Benefits for Government Agencies

Adopting a secure, compliant, efficient, and reliable managed file transfer solution can bring numerous benefits for government agencies. These advantages range from enhanced security and compliance, improved workflow, increased productivity, to cost savings.

By implementing robust security features, a managed file transfer solution can protect sensitive governmental data from unauthorized access, leaks, and theft, helping agencies to maintain trust and credibility. Compliance features ensure that agencies adhere to the required regulations, avoiding hefty fines and legal consequences. Automation features streamline the file transfer process, reducing manual workload, minimizing errors, and saving precious time. Finally, efficiency features ensure fast, reliable, and seamless data exchange, leading to improved productivity and better service delivery.

Risks of Not Using a Secure MFT Solution

If government agencies opt not to use a secure, compliant, efficient, and reliable managed file transfer solution, they expose themselves to numerous risks. These risks span from data breaches and non–compliance penalties to inefficient work processes and potential loss of trust from the public.

Data breaches can lead to leaks of highly sensitive information such as intelligence briefings, financial data, and personnel records. This not only threatens national security and public trust but may also result in costly lawsuits and penalties. Additionally, non–compliance with regulatory standards can result in hefty fines and tarnish the reputations of the agencies involved.

Kiteworks Helps Government Agencies Collaborate Safely and Efficiently With Secure Managed File Transfer

Effective collaboration using secure file transfer is essential to the functioning of government agencies. Files transfers can range from non–sensitive to highly classified documents, all of which require secure, efficient, and reliable transmission. Managed file transfer solutions are primed for this purpose, offering security, automation, and efficiency benefits.

For government agencies, investing in a robust managed file transfer solution is not just a matter of enhancing operations, but also a strategic move to protect their credibility, secure sensitive information, and ultimately, serve the public more effectively.

The Kiteworks Private Content Network, a FIPS 140-2 Level validated secure file sharing and file transfer platform, consolidates email, file sharing, web forms, SFTP and managed file transfer, so organizations control, protect, and track every file as it enters and exits the organization.

Kiteworks secure managed file transfer provides robust automation, reliable, scalable operations management, and simple, code–free forms and visual editing. It is designed with a focus on security, visibility, and compliance. In fact, Kiteworks handles all the logging, governance, and security requirements with centralized policy administration while a hardened virtual appliance protects data and metadata from malicious insiders and advanced persistent threats. As a result, businesses can transfer files securely while maintaining compliance with relevant regulations

Kiteworks secure managed file transfer supports flexible flows to transfer files between various types of data sources and destinations over a variety of protocols. In addition, the solution provides an array of authoring and management functions, including an Operations Web Console, drag–and–drop flow authoring, declarative custom operators, and the ability to run on schedule, event, file detection, or manually.

Finally, Kiteworks Secure MFT Client provides access to commonly–used repositories such as Kiteworks folders, SFTP Servers, FTPS, CIFS File Shares, OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Box, Dropbox, and others.

In total, Kiteworks secure managed file transfer provides complete visibility, compliance, and control over IP, PII, PHI, and other sensitive content, utilizing state–of–the–art encryption, built–in audit trails, compliance reporting, and role–based policies.

To learn more about Kiteworks’ secure managed file transfer capabilities, schedule a custom demo today.

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