The most successful companies and businesses function like well-oiled machines. Every part has a role to fulfill, and when you put them all together, you get a perfect synergy of elements that keep everything rolling. However, people often fail to realize that this type of synchronization doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes quite a bit of time and energy, not to mention that you have to build a perfect internal cooperation between different teams and departments. So, how does one exactly accomplish such a challenging feat? With the use of file-sharing tools in modern business, of course. But then another question arises – how does a company keep all that data safe?

Why are file-sharing tools in modern business so important?

In the corporate dog-eat-dog world we live in today, time is everything. Who will be the first to explore that ground-breaking idea? Have all the deadlines been met? When is the perfect time to sell or buy? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg that can make or break a small business trying to make a name for itself. And one of the founding principles on which you can make sure that you’re the first to have all the answers is with proper and well-protected internal communication.

So, whether we talk about your typical file-sharing needs, downloading multimedia files or optimizing a website for search engines, it all comes down to having the right file-sharing tools in modern business and making sure they don’t fall in the wrong hands. After all, just consider how influential a shared database is for a company in terms of:

• internal communication regarding changes and project updates,
• team collaboration on a larger scale and
• information accessibility from any company device.

Digital marketing companies have a clear understanding of how sensitive client information is and how important it is for all departments to be able to commit to a project. But in addition to that, serious thought needs to go into the aspect of cybersecurity and its importance in B2B projects. After all, nobody will trust any single aspect of their business to a company that is unable to guarantee discretion and data protection.

What are some interesting file-sharing apps worth exploring?

What is it that you should seek in any software? That they are free to download (or affordable) and simple to learn and use. And this is the criteria on which I based my search, along with the overall grade of positive reviews. But before all else, you need to make sure to find software that would fit the needs of your moving company.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to mention that most of these tools have several versions, depending on your will to cash out. Free and trial versions usually have a limitation in terms of storage space. That limit borders in-between 2GB and 15 GB. On the other hand, you can always invest financially and easily gain much larger amounts of data.

Top 5 choices that you might wish to explore

So, without further delay, here are my top choices of file-sharing tools in modern business that you should seriously consider:

1. Wimi - extremely easy (and fun) to use, works up to 10 GB and can be shared between two users and eight projects. Monthly subscriptions can grant you 250 GB of storage, unlimited projects, as well as phone support.
2. Dropbox (News - Alert) – currently, one of the absolute leaders among storage services. And with more than 10 years-worth of investments into the development of it, you can be sure why it is so highly regarded among file-sharing tools in modern business. Although you are initially limited to 2GB of space, a paid subscription can easily change this to up to 1 TB of space.
3. Google Drive – the optimal solution for all those that practice and respect the use of Gmail accounts. And since we are talking about a Google product, you can rest assured that it is well synchronized. And with initial storage of 15 GB at no charge, and the option to convert any file into PDF with ease, you can imagine why it is so popular. Paid (News - Alert) subscription comes easy and offers up to 1 TB of space.
4. One Drive – you can imagine that every big IT company wants to be part of this battle for supremacy. So, no reason why Microsoft (News - Alert) shouldn’t participate with its initial 5 GB of user space. Although the paid plans are a bit more expensive in comparison to others, the fact is that the ease of use is by far the best.
5. Zoho (News - Alert) Drive – offers 5 GB of space for each of up to 25 users in a single group. Chat, group sharing, tasks, and notifications are all built in and incorporated. You can email files directly into storage and with a monthly subscription, you can get more space, bigger upload, improved analytical options etc.

File-sharing is just the first step – data backup and protection is the next one

The U.S. Small Business Administration teaches us that you can contribute over half of jobs in the US to small businesses. And when you consider the fact that the number of small businesses has increased 49 percent since the early 1980s, you pretty much get how essential their role is. Now, consider this fact – almost one third of small companies fail to backup and protect their data. And from the ones that do backup their data, half only make a single copy! Wow, how fragile and up for grabs is that? At that point, it matters little how much time you invest in file sharing tools in modern business, because it can all disappear in a matter of minutes.

This is why you should never put all your eggs in one basket. If you’re running a small business, there is little that can be more catastrophic than losing data. Moreover, studies have shown that over 60 percent of companies will shut down within six months after losing their data to hacks. This is why you, as a business-owner, need to ensure to take some time to encrypt and protect your essential data before calling it a day. There are plenty of ways for you to accomplish this, and you should definitely rely on more than one. Just to offer some ideas:

• USB drive
• External hard drive
• Cloud
• NAS device
• Burn it on a CD

What should you backup?

You can already guess that anything confidential when it comes to your business operations should be backed up, and even encrypted. So, what does this mean, in particular? Easy – financial and sales records, tax forms, client information, and basically anything that might jeopardize your operations in the wrong hands.

When should you backup?

The safest and most commonly practiced approach is to make a general backup of most of your data all at once. After that, it’s just a matter of making updates from time to time. Another idea to consider is to have a backup of your backup, so if one were to fail, you would have the other to take its place. To be honest, it all comes down to how much time, money, and energy you are willing to invest in all of it. But one thing is certain – you can never be too careful today.

Why is cybersecurity so important nowadays?

With the ever-growing influence and dominance of the Internet and all things online, companies can’t help but invest in data protection tools and measures. Just consider the alternative – you can either invest thousands into cybersecurity measures and employee training or you could risk losing millions on malware incidents. It comes down to you – but I think that the smart choice is obvious. So, what are some steps you should consider implementing:

• Have a cybersecurity travel policy in place.
• Mandatory VPN use when using Wi-Fi.
• Install the application of Multi-Factor Authentication to access and use any company apps, resources, tools, or data.
• Device and User Authentication for all departments.
• Scheduled seminars and courses on the importance of cybersecurity – both in and out of the office
• Training. Training. Training.

Now, I’m not saying these measures will 100 percent safeguard your business from any possible security breach but they will contribute to minimizing the chances of it occurring. And this is something you always have to take into consideration as your business and number of employees grow.

About the Author

Betty White is an independent writer with years of experience behind her. Positioned in San Diego, CA (News - Alert) – she constantly takes on new and challenging projects in covering topics for diverse niches and industries. So far, her work has covered topics related to the moving and transportation industry, IT solutions and software innovations, business growth and development etc.