We have entered into an age where file sharing is less a luxury as it once was and more a way of life. More and more industries are choosing to unlock the productivity and collaborative gains that only file sharing can offer, which is especially true in the world of government.
In terms of government agency file transfer, however, only FTP sites bring together the important features required to both stay protected and efficient in the new digital era for a host of different reasons.
Why Your Government Agency Should Utilize FTP Sites for File Sharing
1. Control
One of the most important reasons why government agencies choose FTP sites for file transfers over other technologies is because of the superior level of control it provides. Many FTP providers like FTP today store all information in SSAE 16 audited, PCI certified data centers that are located entirely in the United States.
2. Firewalls and Advanced Security
FTP as a file transfer protocol also offers a number of hardware and software firewalls to allow mission critical information to remain secure at all times. FTP Today, for example, offers hardware firewalls that filter incoming ports to mitigate the risk of known vulnerabilities, as well as software firewalls that proactively block brute force and other unwanted attacks.
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3. SSH Secure Shell Access (Or Lack Thereof)
Another important reason why government agencies choose FTP for file transfer purposes has to do with some of the advanced features provided by companies like FTP Today. FTP Today, for example, eliminates the possibility of someone with malicious intentions gaining access to the root operating system by automatically disallowing SSH Secure Shell access on ALL of its servers.
4. Encryption
FTP also offers both at-rest and in-transit encryption, guaranteeing that information is always protected regardless of how your users are interacting with it. This is particularly helpful in terms of government settings, as administrators can force 100% of their users to connect via a series of encrypted protocols to maintain this superior level of protection at all times.
5. Country Blocking
When you're talking about something as large as a government agency, you likely have users that are spread out all over the world at any given time. Despite this, you still need to be able to keep a watchful eye over not only who is accessing data, but from where that data is being accessed.
FTP as a technology, along with companies like FTP Today, give government agencies the ability to limit access by country from an IP database that is 99.8% accurate or better. This allows you to make sure all users in the field can still access their important information, while automatically denying access to those who might wish to do you harm.