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Content management systems are becoming popular and necessary as a way to organize, manage, and secure organizational web and enterprise content. The CMS offers multiple attack opportunities for targeting commercial or public sector data. How can IT, administrators, creative personnel, and developers ensure CMS security?
Between January and September 2019 there were over 7.9 billion data records were hacked — a 33% increase from the same time a year ago. Although hackers are the obvious culprits oftentimes it is a minor human error or lack of basic security hygiene resulting in a data breach.
Types of Content Management Systems
There are 3 types of CMS software: open source, proprietary, and Software-as-a-Service CMS.
Open Source CMS can be installed/managed on a web server. Numerous customizations are available to address the different business needs, such as plugins for websites, optimize content for search engines, or customize your design themes and layouts
Proprietary CMS software is built and managed by a company. Using such CMS generally involves:
● getting a license to use the software paying monthly or annual charges
● additional costs for customization and upgrades, as well as for training and technical /user support.
SaaS CMS solutions usually include web content management software, web hosting, and technical support with a supplier. These are virtual solutions hosted in the cloud and based on a subscription model, usually on a per-user or per-site basis. The pricing usually includes:
● amount of data transfer
● storage for your content and data
Threat to Content Management Systems
● Data manipulation: SQL injections and changing parameters/settings is a popular hack.
● Accessing data: Using SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks to compromise user data. A hacker uses a web application to send malicious code, usually a browser-side script or malicious SQL statements.
● Code Injection: Code Injections can result in loss of data or corrupted data, lack of accountability, or denial of access.
● Spam: Web crawlers scan the Internet for legit email addresses and send spam accordingly. Attackers send spam through the application’s server, turning it into a spam relay server.
● Broken Authentication is the incorrect implementation for authentication while functions such as logging off, session expiry, secret questions, password reset, etc. If the authentication mechanisms have not been properly implemented, it is possible to take advantage of this weakness in order to gain more rights over the application.
Some examples of poor implementation of authentication process are: different return error for a failed authentication, improper process for providing a forgotten password, no existing protection against an excessive number of attempts, reminders along with authentication questions
● Sensitive Data Exposure distorts the integrity and confidentiality of data. Many web applications fail to protect sensitive data in a proper way, with the appropriate encryption. For transferring secure data, web applications can use the secure version of HTTP protocol – HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) protocol which uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) for the protection of messages transmitted via the network.
Breach Prevention in Content Management System
● Strong Passwords: The passwords used by both users and administrators of the CSM need to follow best practices. As with all passwords, they should be hard to guess but easy to remember, so relatively lengthy passphrases based on a random collection of words work best. Or you can use passwords randomly generated by a good password manager.
● Multi-Factor Authentication: Multi-factor authentication, when available, provides much better protection for accounts than passwords/phrases.
● Assign Access Roles: You should also take advantage of the ability to assign roles and/or permissions. WordPress allows you to set different roles for different users, such as Contributor (can draft posts but not publish), Author (can publish his/her own posts), Editor (can publish or edit their own and others’ posts), and administrator (can change settings and has complete control of the site). Limit the number of persons who have administrative access.
● Layered Security: Opt for a Web Application Firewall (WAF), which adds an extra layer of security to your CMS website to stay protected from attacks.
● Check your plug-ins: Although these are often premium, there are quality free themes and plugins as well. Quality in this case means they have a good track record which you can assess by studying their reviews and number of downloads. The more reviews available, the more accurate your assessment. Never use pirated plugins or themes.
● SSL Certificate: Install SSL on your web server which establishes a secure connection between your server and the client.
● Have Backup: This allows you to reset your compromised website back to its previous state. Do this after you have identified and corrected the security weakness that caused your site to get hacked
Conclusion
Content management can be a challenge in today’s information-intensive working environments, and CMS can help you to get a handle on the creation, publication, and organization of all that content – but don’t forget the need for security to protect your information, and (if you’re self-hosting) your servers and network, as well.
Content management enables companies to better manage the creation, approval, revision, and consumption of electronic documents. It also provides key features, such as library services, profiling, searching, check-in, check-out, revision history, version control, and document security. Moreover, cloud computing has brought along a lot of advantages even to the field of content management systems. It provides an easily-accessible resource and repository for documents and related software and is also helpful in being cost-effective. The Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Market was valued at USD 47.29 billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 105.56 billion by 2026 and grow at a CAGR of 25.7% over the forecast period (2021 – 2026).
ECM can be broken down into five major components: capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver.
Capture involves creating information by converting paper documents into electronic formats, obtaining and collecting electronic files into a cohesive structure, and organizing information.
Manage connects, modifies, and employs information through means such as document management, collaborative software, Records management, etc.
Storebacks up frequently changing information in the short term within flexible folder structures to allow users to view or edit information.
Preserve backs up infrequently changing information in the medium and long term and is usually accomplished through records management features. It is commonly used to help organizations comply with government and other regulations.
Deliver provides clients and end-users with requested information.
Here are some of the major ECM Trends in 2021 which we think you should know about
Custom ECM Solutions Will Get More Business
Being able to tailor features and functionality to specific workflows and processes will on-board users faster as customization brings an increased level of control to the experience. The ability to customize the ECM platform’s look, feel, and flow to best meet users’ necessities can mean more business.
Access to Data Will Be More Democratized
Enterprises will try to rethink and reform their data systems in 2021 that allows people from different levels to access data that is relevant to them. Providing access to relevant data and creating a company culture in which the data freely flows essentially means democratizing one’s business organization.
Robust security that Encrypts Data
Everyone is afraid of external and internal security breaches or being non-compliant for audits and meeting regulatory requirements. Whether it’s business intelligence or confidential patient information, your management and safeguarding of content is critical without compromising information accessibility. ECM’s will invest more in making sure they comply with all data compliances and data security issues in the upcoming years.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Many large Organisations hire data scientists, data miners, and business intelligence architects to design smarter ways to mine data for information. Thanks to new AI tools being incorporated into CMS, smaller businesses can get similar business intelligence support. Now you can improve your decision-making capabilities and optimize all your business processes by applying techniques such as Machine learning (ML) and Data Visualization.
Robotic Process Automation
RPA is a technology that can automate business processes that are rules-based, structured, and repetitive. This allows your human employees to spend their time and energy on strategic work that adds more value to your bottom line. The back end processing such as fetching data or monthly employee reports can be reduced with the bots as they are capable of mimicking the manual processes efficiently. An Enterprise workflow consists of multiple technologies, which are not designed to operate with each other. Using RPA, this can be handled effortlessly.
Scalability Will Be a Priority
Scalability and flexibility will be of utmost importance for enterprises that are going through a digital transformation or optimizing their existing data management systems. This means that companies will focus on choosing custom-made IT solutions that can easily support their growth without disrupting their business operations.
So, what do you think of our predictions for the enterprise content management systems for 2021? What are your forecasts for the year ahead?
In our age of information, most modern enterprises have started to move towards the digitization of data. Never have there been quite so many enterprise file-synchronization and sharing (EFSS) solutions available on the market — and while a wide range of choice is always good, it also makes it much more difficult to choose the perfect solution for your organization.
Citrix Sharefile is one such top contender and one of the biggest solutions on the market. However, there are certain issues with Citrix Sharefile that make it a less-than-desirable option for certain enterprises. As such, we’ve put together a list of great EFSS solutions for your consideration, as well as their pros and cons, so that you can pick the one that offers all the features your enterprise might need, while remaining affordable and within your price range.
Sharefile is Citrix’s enterprise-class cloud storage solution, and they’re well-known in the commercial software and service industry. Notable features of Sharefile include an auditing system that generates activity reports, integration with Single Sign-On, download alerts, and two-factor authentication. This cuts down on the amount of time it would take to print out a document, sign it, and scan it to the cloud.
Unfortunately, despite their generous offer of unlimited storage, they do have a file size limit. The solution itself doesn’t support Linux. Plus, with a standard plan starting at $55, paywalls for features and their enforced 5-user pricing plan, it’s safe to say that Sharefile isn’t the most affordable solution for smaller organizations. Reportedly, Sharefile’s licensing plans are also misleading.
Pros
Great plugin support. For instance: the Outlook plug-in makes it easy to share files securely with customers via email.
Flexible folder creation and sharing process
Easily share large files with clients, vendors and external personnel
Allows multiple remote teams to collaborate in real-time with a simple management process.
Cons
Interface is less intuitive compared to other solutions.
Not commonly used in all industries, presenting a learning curve to some users.
Sorting out your preferences is time-consuming. As a standalone product it suffers from lack of integration with Google and/or Microsoft products.
Confusing and varied pricing with many features locked behind paywalls
Now that we’ve gone over Citrix Sharefile in-depth, let’s go over some alternatives, in case those aforementioned issues are in fact a deal-breaker for your company.
✓ Security: FileCloud is compliant with all the most stringent data governance policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Encryption at rest and in transit, 256-bit AES encryption, granular file-sharing, password-protected, public and private shares.
✓ Features: From deployment models to unlimited client accounts, branding capabilities and more, FileCloud is filled with incredible enterprise-level features.
Naturally, we’re proud of our own product and firmly believe FileCloud to be one of the most powerful and affordable EFSS solutions on the market. FileCloud offers on-premise, public and a unique hybrid cloud deployment model. This deployment flexibility separates FileCloud from its competitors, and ensures that your team can enjoy the benefits of both on-premise and cloud storage systems — read more on our hybrid infrastructure here.
Our pricing is also one of the most affordable on the market, while offering larger storage plans, better enterprise-level features, and unlimited FREE external client accounts — all great for your wallet and your ROI. Feature-wise, we consider seamless, remote access to your data as the bare minimum that a good file-solution should offer. Collaborative and content management tools, a comprehensive admin panel, plus infinite customization options are all features that ensure not just your team, but also your clients and sysadmins get in on the enhanced EFSS experience.
Last but certainly not least, FileCloud is compliant with most data security governance policies, meaning that you’ll never see your organization’s good name tainted in headlines labelled with “Security Breach” or “Data Leaks”. Plus. it’ll save you tons on the fines and fees that’ll rack up if you go with a less-secure option.
Pros
Beautiful, simple, intuitive and responsive user interface that can be accessed via local client or browser.
Tons of keyboard shortcuts and quick actions to cut down on time
No file limit — massive files can be exchanged with anyone anywhere in the world at enterprise level speeds.
Ultimate data governance compliance and security, with DLP functionalities, an extensive admin panel, audit trails, encryption and multi-factor authentication
Collaborative tools and integration with tons of common office software
Enterprise-level content management capabilities: file-versioning, metadata classification, user policy management and light workflows for the easier management and organization of your team’s hard work.
Unlimited free external accounts for clients, vendors, etc.
Cons
Setup process can be intimidating without proper training, although there is documentation to mitigate that.
Unable to use a protocol different than HTTPs for downloads; this can be problematic for companies that restrict it.
The solution does not offer a free plan, although there is a two week free trial and a 10$/year Community Edition Plan.
Dropbox
✓Pricing: Basic Plan: Free | Plus Plan: $11.99/user/month | Professional Plan: $19.99/user/month
✓ Storage: Basic Plan: 2GB | Plus Plan: 2TB | Professional Plan: 3TB
✓ Security: AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and AES 128-bit encryption for data in transit; however, known past security issues
✓ Features: Unique “Paper” and “Showcase” features: basic “Notes” and “Portfolio” app respectively
With its clean, intuitive UI and easy-to-use features, Dropbox has become a well-known, household name in terms of file storage. Dropbox also offers password-protected links, integration for Office 365 and Google Drive, and strong administrative tools. However, while it certainly has its pros, we feel strongly that there are better enterprise-level file-sharing solutions — and here’s why.
Due to the system’s popularity, it’s always been a popular target for hackers. Even now, it doesn’t offer local encryption. Their customer service certainly leaves more to be desired, as seen from their lack of 24/7 customer support.
And above all that, despite having fewer features than many enterprise-level solutions out there, Dropbox is far from the most affordable on the market, especially with their 5-user minimum. Plus, with their measly 2GB- free storage and paywalls for unlimited storage, it certainly feels like the solution is out to milk their users dry.
Pros
Offers file-versioning: Once a file has changed, Drive keeps an older version of the file as backup in case of malicious activity or negligence
Fantastic conflict resolution features – automatically creating a “conflicted copy” of a file whenever a potential conflict is detected (i.e. a file is being edited by two people at the same time).
Plugins for Microsoft Office that allow for multiple people to edit a file simultaneously without creating conflicts.
Provides a “smart sync” feature, allowing for files to be seen on the computer locally, but not stored locally until opened up. This allows a user to access all of his/her Dropbox files without using up disk space
Cons
Dropbox for Business is very limited compared to alternatives, which usually include not just file syncing capabilities but an entire office suite.
You cannot edit files without downloading them
The Dropbox file compression will degrade the media quality to a noticeable extent when clicking a direct play link
Mobile versions face challenges when dealing with big files, rendering the solution less flexible
✓ Storage: Free Plan: 15GB | Basic Plan: 30GB | Business & Enterprise Plan: Unlimited, or 1TB / user if less than 5 users
✓ Security: Encryption in transit; no option to encrypt individual documents. Multi-factor authentication.
✓ Features: Google Drive comes with powerful, recognized collaborative tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Having quickly risen in popularity over the past couple of years, Google Drive is now a powerful file-sharing solution on the market. A file storage and synchronization program created by Google, it’s best known for its collaborative capabilities via Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, which offer real-time collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and slides respectively.
The solution’s enterprise plan, GSuite, comes with a similarly clean and intuitive UI, as well as integration with popular enterprise softwares such as Autodesk, Salesforce, and more. Apart from this, Google Drive for Business offers unlimited cloud storage, access from any device, offline file access, includes apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Google Sites, as well as enterprise-grade access controls, e-discovery for emails, chats and files.
However, reportedly, users have encountered frequent connectivity and syncing issues while using Google Drive. Plus, while Google Drive has fairly beefy data security with encryption in-transit and at-rest, human error on part of the developers has led to security issues, such as when Google Photos started sending private videos to strangers.
Pros
Lovely mobile application and collaborative tools for anywhere, anytime access
Has a great free option, making it useful for any small businesses that do not have a lot of funds
Readily compatible with many apps.
Ease of installation, ease of setup and you don’t need much technical knowledge to use it as an end-user.
Gmail integration
Cons
The processes of uploading (automatically), deleting, scrolling, and downloading are tedious as they have to be done by checking each file.
Interface can quickly become cluttered when large amounts of files are uploaded and edited
No virtual drives or mounting to computers as hard drives
Security issues galore in the past; they’ve been fixed today, but it’s still certainly concerning.
✓ Security: A regulatory-compliant Zero-Knowledge Provider. Tools to manage user perms and customer-managed encryption keys.
✓ Features: Secure collaborative and project-management tools, as well as rule sets for work-flow automation
While perhaps less of a household name than Dropbox, Box, founded in 2005 and based in California, is also an incredibly strong contender on the EFSS market. With tools that integrate with other services, like Google Docs, Box also goes above and beyond in offering custom branding capabilities and letting users create a professional appearance for their organization.
Plus, Box’s security is nothing to scoff about, being a uniquely zero-knowledge provider and offering tons of options for encryption and user management.
Unfortunately, with their heavy local encryption, Box transfers tend to get slow — something that could impede or even cripple the seamless remote workflows that have become the norm today. Box also does not offer any options for on-premise or self-hosting, nor local storage, and does not perform end-point backups. Plus, while it certainly provides tons of enterprise-level features, it’s also significantly pricier than almost any solution on the market.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of its finer points, for ease of comparison:
Pros:
Mobile access
Integration with other applications such as: Microsoft Office, Google, Salesforce, DocuSign etc
Ability to add/edit multiple users
Editing documents
Workflow automation
Box “Notes” functionality for project management tasks, such as status updates and meeting notes
Custom Branding
Global compliance standards, such as ITAR, HIPAA, PCI DSS 3.1, FINRA/SEC 17a-4, FISMA, ISO27001:2013, and ISO 27018
Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are some huge deal-breakers that come with the solution.
Cons:
No indication when a file is open by another user, leading to over-saving of each other’s work during collaboration.
Box is relatively pricey compared to its competitors
Not much documentation and an unfriendly user interface make it hard to get into
Box Sync doesn’t work on older Windows OS versions
Transfers can be slow due to heavy local encryption
OneDrive
✓Pricing: Business Plan 1: $5/user/month | Business Plan 1: $10/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month
✓ Storage: All Plans: 1TB – extra storage space can be purchased separately for up to 1TB/$9.99/month
✓ Security: Standard encryption, file-locking, paywalls for SSO/SAML Authentication
✓ Features: Advanced sharing, mobility and security. Heavy integration with Office software.
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Office. Naturally, this Microsoft-based solution heavily integrates with Office 365 programs that most teams use, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as Outlook, which is a huge plus. Certain plans even grant access to said software. It also provides encryption at rest and in transit. Overall, it has robust features that make it a strong solution, as expected from Microsoft.
Unfortunately, data privacy issues have surfaced time and time again with large corporations, and OneDrive is no exception. When using this solution, Microsoft can scan your files for “objectionable content”, stating that file security cannot be guaranteed for said content.
Pros
Great integration with other Microsoft Office Tools
Device synchronization ensures access of files from any device.
Cloud storage of data makes it’s easy to access files and documents.
Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
Cons
Data privacy issues and lack of multi-factor / other authentication options
Has less base storage and quickly gets pricey past the 1TB storage option
User interface is clunky and takes time to get used to
Syncing of shared files can produce issues and even get slow
Conclusion
There is, of course, no one-size-fits-all EFSS option, but we hope that this helps your enterprise, company or organization make a better and informed decision about which EFSS solution is best for you. If you have any questions about our FileCloud solution, we are always happy to answer them — just pop over to our main site and strike up a conversation with any of our live chat specialists!
In our age of information, most modern enterprises have started to move towards the digitization of data. Never have there been quite so many enterprise file-synchronization and sharing (EFSS) solutions available on the market — and while a wide range of choice is always good, it also makes it much more difficult to choose the perfect solution for your organization.
Google Drive is one such top contender and one of the biggest solutions on the market. However, there are certain issues with Google Drive that make it a less-than-desirable option for certain enterprises. As such, we’ve put together a list of great EFSS solutions for your consideration, as well as their pros and cons, so that you can pick the one that offers all the features your enterprise might need, while remaining affordable and within your price range.
✓ Storage: Free Plan: 15GB | Basic Plan: 30GB | Business & Enterprise Plan: Unlimited, or 1TB / user if less than 5 users
✓ Security: Encryption in transit; no option to encrypt individual documents. Multi-factor authentication.
✓ Features: Google Drive comes with powerful, recognized collaborative tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Having quickly risen in popularity over the past couple of years, Google Drive is now a powerful file-sharing solution on the market. A file storage and synchronization program created by Google, it’s best known for its collaborative capabilities via Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, which offer real-time collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and slides respectively.
The solution’s enterprise plan, GSuite, comes with a similarly clean and intuitive UI, as well as integration with popular enterprise softwares such as Autodesk, Salesforce, and more. Apart from this, Google Drive for Business offers unlimited cloud storage, access from any device, offline file access, includes apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Google Sites, as well as enterprise-grade access controls, e-discovery for emails, chats and files.
However, reportedly, users have encountered frequent connectivity and syncing issues while using Google Drive. Plus, while Google Drive has fairly beefy data security with encryption in-transit and at-rest, human error on part of the developers has led to security issues, such as when Google Photos started sending private videos to strangers.
Pros
Lovely mobile application and collaborative tools for anywhere, anytime access
Has a great free option, making it useful for any small businesses that do not have a lot of funds
Readily compatible with many apps.
Ease of installation, ease of setup and you don’t need much technical knowledge to use it as an end-user.
Gmail integration
Cons
The processes of uploading (automatically), deleting, scrolling, and downloading are tedious as they have to be done by checking each file.
Interface can quickly become cluttered when large amounts of files are uploaded and edited
No virtual drives or mounting to computers as hard drives
Security issues galore in the past; they’ve been fixed today, but it’s still certainly concerning.
Now that we’ve gone over Google Drive in-depth, let’s go over some alternatives, in case those aforementioned issues are in fact a deal-breaker for your company.
✓ Security: FileCloud is compliant with all the most stringent data governance policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Encryption at rest and in transit, 256-bit AES encryption, granular file-sharing, password-protected, public and private shares.
✓ Features: From deployment models to unlimited client accounts, branding capabilities and more, FileCloud is filled with incredible enterprise-level features.
Naturally, we’re proud of our own product and firmly believe FileCloud to be one of the most powerful and affordable EFSS solutions on the market. FileCloud offers on-premise, public and a unique hybrid cloud deployment model. This deployment flexibility separates FileCloud from its competitors, and ensures that your team can enjoy the benefits of both on-premise and cloud storage systems — read more on our hybrid infrastructure here.
Our pricing is also one of the most affordable on the market, while offering larger storage plans, better enterprise-level features, and unlimited FREE external client accounts — all great for your wallet and your ROI. Feature-wise, we consider seamless, remote access to your data as the bare minimum that a good file-solution should offer. Collaborative and content management tools, a comprehensive admin panel, plus infinite customization options are all features that ensure not just your team, but also your clients and sysadmins get in on the enhanced EFSS experience.
Last but certainly not least, FileCloud is compliant with most data security governance policies, meaning that you’ll never see your organization’s good name tainted in headlines labelled with “Security Breach” or “Data Leaks”. Plus. it’ll save you tons on the fines and fees that’ll rack up if you go with a less-secure option.
Pros
Beautiful, simple, intuitive and responsive user interface that can be accessed via local client or browser.
Tons of keyboard shortcuts and quick actions to cut down on time
No file limit — massive files can be exchanged with anyone anywhere in the world at enterprise level speeds.
Ultimate data governance compliance and security, with DLP functionalities, an extensive admin panel, audit trails, encryption and multi-factor authentication
Collaborative tools and integration with tons of common office software
Enterprise-level content management capabilities: file-versioning, metadata classification, user policy management and light workflows for the easier management and organization of your team’s hard work.
Unlimited free external accounts for clients, vendors, etc.
Cons
Setup process can be intimidating without proper training, although there is documentation to mitigate that.
Unable to use a protocol different than HTTPs for downloads; this can be problematic for companies that restrict it.
The solution does not offer a free plan, although there is a two week free trial and a 10$/year Community Edition Plan.
Dropbox
✓Pricing: Basic Plan: Free | Plus Plan: $11.99/user/month | Professional Plan: $19.99/user/month
✓ Storage: Basic Plan: 2GB | Plus Plan: 2TB | Professional Plan: 3TB
✓ Security: AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and AES 128-bit encryption for data in transit; however, known past security issues
✓ Features: Unique “Paper” and “Showcase” features: basic “Notes” and “Portfolio” app respectively
With its clean, intuitive UI and easy-to-use features, Dropbox has become a well-known, household name in terms of file storage. Dropbox also offers password-protected links, integration for Office 365 and Google Drive, and strong administrative tools. However, while it certainly has its pros, we feel strongly that there are better enterprise-level file-sharing solutions — and here’s why.
Due to the system’s popularity, it’s always been a popular target for hackers. Even now, it doesn’t offer local encryption. Their customer service certainly leaves more to be desired, as seen from their lack of 24/7 customer support.
And above all that, despite having fewer features than many enterprise-level solutions out there, Dropbox is far from the most affordable on the market, especially with their 5-user minimum. Plus, with their measly 2GB- free storage and paywalls for unlimited storage, it certainly feels like the solution is out to milk their users dry.
Pros
Offers file-versioning: Once a file has changed, Drive keeps an older version of the file as backup in case of malicious activity or negligence
Fantastic conflict resolution features – automatically creating a “conflicted copy” of a file whenever a potential conflict is detected (i.e. a file is being edited by two people at the same time).
Plugins for Microsoft Office that allow for multiple people to edit a file simultaneously without creating conflicts.
Provides a “smart sync” feature, allowing for files to be seen on the computer locally, but not stored locally until opened up. This allows a user to access all of his/her Dropbox files without using up disk space
Cons
Dropbox for Business is very limited compared to alternatives, which usually include not just file syncing capabilities but an entire office suite.
You cannot edit files without downloading them
The Dropbox file compression will degrade the media quality to a noticeable extent when clicking a direct play link
Mobile versions face challenges when dealing with big files, rendering the solution less flexible
✓ Security: A regulatory-compliant Zero-Knowledge Provider. Tools to manage user perms and customer-managed encryption keys.
✓ Features: Secure collaborative and project-management tools, as well as rule sets for work-flow automation
While perhaps less of a household name than Dropbox, Box, founded in 2005 and based in California, is also an incredibly strong contender on the EFSS market. With tools that integrate with other services, like Google Docs, Box also goes above and beyond in offering custom branding capabilities and letting users create a professional appearance for their organization.
Plus, Box’s security is nothing to scoff about, being a uniquely zero-knowledge provider and offering tons of options for encryption and user management.
Unfortunately, with their heavy local encryption, Box transfers tend to get slow — something that could impede or even cripple the seamless remote workflows that have become the norm today. Box also does not offer any options for on-premise or self-hosting, nor local storage, and does not perform end-point backups. Plus, while it certainly provides tons of enterprise-level features, it’s also significantly pricier than almost any solution on the market.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of its finer points, for ease of comparison:
Pros:
Mobile access
Integration with other applications such as: Microsoft Office, Google, Salesforce, DocuSign etc
Ability to add/edit multiple users
Editing documents
Workflow automation
Box “Notes” functionality for project management tasks, such as status updates and meeting notes
Custom Branding
Global compliance standards, such as ITAR, HIPAA, PCI DSS 3.1, FINRA/SEC 17a-4, FISMA, ISO27001:2013, and ISO 27018
Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are some huge deal-breakers that come with the solution.
Cons:
No indication when a file is open by another user, leading to over-saving of each other’s work during collaboration.
Box is relatively pricey compared to its competitors
Not much documentation and an unfriendly user interface make it hard to get into
Box Sync doesn’t work on older Windows OS versions
Transfers can be slow due to heavy local encryption
OneDrive
✓Pricing: Business Plan 1: $5/user/month | Business Plan 1: $10/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month
✓ Storage: All Plans: 1TB – extra storage space can be purchased separately for up to 1TB/$9.99/month
✓ Security: Standard encryption, file-locking, paywalls for SSO/SAML Authentication
✓ Features: Advanced sharing, mobility and security. Heavy integration with Office software.
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Office. Naturally, this Microsoft-based solution heavily integrates with Office 365 programs that most teams use, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as Outlook, which is a huge plus. Certain plans even grant access to said software. It also provides encryption at rest and in transit. Overall, it has robust features that make it a strong solution, as expected from Microsoft.
Unfortunately, data privacy issues have surfaced time and time again with large corporations, and OneDrive is no exception. When using this solution, Microsoft can scan your files for “objectionable content”, stating that file security cannot be guaranteed for said content.
Pros
Great integration with other Microsoft Office Tools
Device synchronization ensures access of files from any device.
Cloud storage of data makes it’s easy to access files and documents.
Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
Cons
Data privacy issues and lack of multi-factor / other authentication options
Has less base storage and quickly gets pricey past the 1TB storage option
User interface is clunky and takes time to get used to
Syncing of shared files can produce issues and even get slow
Sharefile is Citrix’s enterprise-class cloud storage solution, and they’re well-known in the commercial software and service industry. Notable features of Sharefile include an auditing system that generates activity reports, integration with Single Sign-On, download alerts, and two-factor authentication. This cuts down on the amount of time it would take to print out a document, sign it, and scan it to the cloud.
Unfortunately, despite their generous offer of unlimited storage, they do have a file size limit. The solution itself doesn’t support Linux. Plus, with a standard plan starting at $55, paywalls for features and their enforced 5-user pricing plan, it’s safe to say that Sharefile isn’t the most affordable solution for smaller organizations. Reportedly, Sharefile’s licensing plans are also misleading.
Pros
Great plugin support. For instance: the Outlook plug-in makes it easy to share files securely with customers via email.
Flexible folder creation and sharing process
Easily share large files with clients, vendors and external personnel
Allows multiple remote teams to collaborate in real-time with a simple management process.
Cons
Interface is less intuitive compared to other solutions.
Not commonly used in all industries, presenting a learning curve to some users.
Sorting out your preferences is time-consuming. As a standalone product it suffers from lack of integration with Google and/or Microsoft products.
Confusing and varied pricing with many features locked behind paywalls
Conclusion
There is, of course, no one-size-fits-all EFSS option, but we hope that this helps your enterprise, company or organization make a better and informed decision about which EFSS solution is best for you. If you have any questions about our FileCloud solution, we are always happy to answer them — just pop over to our main site and strike up a conversation with any of our live chat specialists!
In our age of information, most modern enterprises have started to move towards the digitization of data. Never have there been quite so many enterprise file-synchronization and sharing (EFSS) solutions available on the market — and while a wide range of choice is always good, it also makes it much more difficult to choose the perfect solution for your organization.
Dropbox is one such top contender and one of the biggest solutions on the market. However, there are certain issues with Box that make it a less-than-desirable option for certain enterprises. As such, we’ve put together a list of great EFSS solutions for your consideration, as well as their pros and cons, so that you can pick the one that offers all the features your enterprise might need, while remaining affordable and within your price range.
Dropbox
✓Pricing: Basic Plan: Free | Plus Plan: $11.99/user/month | Professional Plan: $19.99/user/month
✓ Storage: Basic Plan: 2GB | Plus Plan: 2TB | Professional Plan: 3TB
✓ Security: AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and AES 128-bit encryption for data in transit; however, known past security issues
✓ Features: Unique “Paper” and “Showcase” features: basic “Notes” and “Portfolio” app respectively
With its clean, intuitive UI and easy-to-use features, Dropbox has become a well-known, household name in terms of file storage. Dropbox also offers password-protected links, integration for Office 365 and Google Drive, and strong administrative tools. However, while it certainly has its pros, we feel strongly that there are better enterprise-level file-sharing solutions — and here’s why.
Due to the system’s popularity, it’s always been a popular target for hackers. Even now, it doesn’t offer local encryption. Their customer service certainly leaves more to be desired, as seen from their lack of 24/7 customer support.
And above all that, despite having fewer features than many enterprise-level solutions out there, Dropbox is far from the most affordable on the market, especially with their 5-user minimum. Plus, with their measly 2GB- free storage and paywalls for unlimited storage, it certainly feels like the solution is out to milk their users dry.
Pros
Offers file-versioning: Once a file has changed, Drive keeps an older version of the file as backup in case of malicious activity or negligence
Fantastic conflict resolution features – automatically creating a “conflicted copy” of a file whenever a potential conflict is detected (i.e. a file is being edited by two people at the same time).
Plugins for Microsoft Office that allow for multiple people to edit a file simultaneously without creating conflicts.
Provides a “smart sync” feature, allowing for files to be seen on the computer locally, but not stored locally until opened up. This allows a user to access all of his/her Dropbox files without using up disk space
Cons
Dropbox for Business is very limited compared to alternatives, which usually include not just file syncing capabilities but an entire office suite.
You cannot edit files without downloading them
The Dropbox file compression will degrade the media quality to a noticeable extent when clicking a direct play link
Mobile versions face challenges when dealing with big files, rendering the solution less flexible
✓ Security: FileCloud is compliant with all the most stringent data governance policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Encryption at rest and in transit, 256-bit AES encryption, granular file-sharing, password-protected, public and private shares.
✓ Features: From deployment models to unlimited client accounts, branding capabilities and more, FileCloud is filled with incredible enterprise-level features.
Naturally, we’re proud of our own product and firmly believe FileCloud to be one of the most powerful and affordable EFSS solutions on the market. FileCloud offers on-premise, public and a unique hybrid cloud deployment model. This deployment flexibility separates FileCloud from its competitors, and ensures that your team can enjoy the benefits of both on-premise and cloud storage systems — read more on our hybrid infrastructure here.
Our pricing is also one of the most affordable on the market, while offering larger storage plans, better enterprise-level features, and unlimited FREE external client accounts — all great for your wallet and your ROI. Feature-wise, we consider seamless, remote access to your data as the bare minimum that a good file-solution should offer. Collaborative and content management tools, a comprehensive admin panel, plus infinite customization options are all features that ensure not just your team, but also your clients and sysadmins get in on the enhanced EFSS experience.
Last but certainly not least, FileCloud is compliant with most data security governance policies, meaning that you’ll never see your organization’s good name tainted in headlines labelled with “Security Breach” or “Data Leaks”. Plus. it’ll save you tons on the fines and fees that’ll rack up if you go with a less-secure option.
Pros
Beautiful, simple, intuitive and responsive user interface that can be accessed via local client or browser.
Tons of keyboard shortcuts and quick actions to cut down on time
No file limit — massive files can be exchanged with anyone anywhere in the world at enterprise level speeds.
Ultimate data governance compliance and security, with DLP functionalities, an extensive admin panel, audit trails, encryption and multi-factor authentication
Collaborative tools and integration with tons of common office software
Enterprise-level content management capabilities: file-versioning, metadata classification, user policy management and light workflows for the easier management and organization of your team’s hard work.
Unlimited free external accounts for clients, vendors, etc.
Cons
Setup process can be intimidating without proper training, although there is documentation to mitigate that.
Unable to use a protocol different than HTTPs for downloads; this can be problematic for companies that restrict it.
The solution does not offer a free plan, although there is a two week free trial and a 10$/year Community Edition Plan.
✓ Security: A regulatory-compliant Zero-Knowledge Provider. Tools to manage user perms and customer-managed encryption keys.
✓ Features: Secure collaborative and project-management tools, as well as rule sets for work-flow automation
While perhaps less of a household name than Dropbox, Box, founded in 2005 and based in California, is also an incredibly strong contender on the EFSS market. With tools that integrate with other services, like Google Docs, Box also goes above and beyond in offering custom branding capabilities and letting users create a professional appearance for their organization.
Plus, Box’s security is nothing to scoff about, being a uniquely zero-knowledge provider and offering tons of options for encryption and user management.
Unfortunately, with their heavy local encryption, Box transfers tend to get slow — something that could impede or even cripple the seamless remote workflows that have become the norm today. Box also does not offer any options for on-premise or self-hosting, nor local storage, and does not perform end-point backups. Plus, while it certainly provides tons of enterprise-level features, it’s also significantly pricier than almost any solution on the market.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of its finer points, for ease of comparison:
Pros:
Mobile access
Integration with other applications such as: Microsoft Office, Google, Salesforce, DocuSign etc
Ability to add/edit multiple users
Editing documents
Workflow automation
Box “Notes” functionality for project management tasks, such as status updates and meeting notes
Custom Branding
Global compliance standards, such as ITAR, HIPAA, PCI DSS 3.1, FINRA/SEC 17a-4, FISMA, ISO27001:2013, and ISO 27018
Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are some huge deal-breakers that come with the solution.
Cons:
No indication when a file is open by another user, leading to over-saving of each other’s work during collaboration.
Box is relatively pricey compared to its competitors
Not much documentation and an unfriendly user interface make it hard to get into
Box Sync doesn’t work on older Windows OS versions
Transfers can be slow due to heavy local encryption
Now that we’ve gone over Box in-depth, let’s go over some alternatives, in case those aforementioned issues are in fact a deal-breaker for your company.
✓ Storage: Free Plan: 15GB | Basic Plan: 30GB | Business & Enterprise Plan: Unlimited, or 1TB / user if less than 5 users
✓ Security: Encryption in transit; no option to encrypt individual documents. Multi-factor authentication.
✓ Features: Google Drive comes with powerful, recognized collaborative tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Having quickly risen in popularity over the past couple of years, Google Drive is now a powerful file-sharing solution on the market. A file storage and synchronization program created by Google, it’s best known for its collaborative capabilities via Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, which offer real-time collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and slides respectively.
The solution’s enterprise plan, GSuite, comes with a similarly clean and intuitive UI, as well as integration with popular enterprise softwares such as Autodesk, Salesforce, and more. Apart from this, Google Drive for Business offers unlimited cloud storage, access from any device, offline file access, includes apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Google Sites, as well as enterprise-grade access controls, e-discovery for emails, chats and files.
However, reportedly, users have encountered frequent connectivity and syncing issues while using Google Drive. Plus, while Google Drive has fairly beefy data security with encryption in-transit and at-rest, human error on part of the developers has led to security issues, such as when Google Photos started sending private videos to strangers.
Pros
Lovely mobile application and collaborative tools for anywhere, anytime access
Has a great free option, making it useful for any small businesses that do not have a lot of funds
Readily compatible with many apps.
Ease of installation, ease of setup and you don’t need much technical knowledge to use it as an end-user.
Gmail integration
Cons
The processes of uploading (automatically), deleting, scrolling, and downloading are tedious as they have to be done by checking each file.
Interface can quickly become cluttered when large amounts of files are uploaded and edited
No virtual drives or mounting to computers as hard drives
Security issues galore in the past; they’ve been fixed today, but it’s still certainly concerning.
OneDrive
✓Pricing: Business Plan 1: $5/user/month | Business Plan 1: $10/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month
✓ Storage: All Plans: 1TB – extra storage space can be purchased separately for up to 1TB/$9.99/month
✓ Security: Standard encryption, file-locking, paywalls for SSO/SAML Authentication
✓ Features: Advanced sharing, mobility and security. Heavy integration with Office software.
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Office. Naturally, this Microsoft-based solution heavily integrates with Office 365 programs that most teams use, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as Outlook, which is a huge plus. Certain plans even grant access to said software. It also provides encryption at rest and in transit. Overall, it has robust features that make it a strong solution, as expected from Microsoft.
Unfortunately, data privacy issues have surfaced time and time again with large corporations, and OneDrive is no exception. When using this solution, Microsoft can scan your files for “objectionable content”, stating that file security cannot be guaranteed for said content.
Pros
Great integration with other Microsoft Office Tools
Device synchronization ensures access of files from any device.
Cloud storage of data makes it’s easy to access files and documents.
Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
Cons
Data privacy issues and lack of multi-factor / other authentication options
Has less base storage and quickly gets pricey past the 1TB storage option
User interface is clunky and takes time to get used to
Syncing of shared files can produce issues and even get slow
Sharefile is Citrix’s enterprise-class cloud storage solution, and they’re well-known in the commercial software and service industry. Notable features of Sharefile include an auditing system that generates activity reports, integration with Single Sign-On, download alerts, and two-factor authentication. This cuts down on the amount of time it would take to print out a document, sign it, and scan it to the cloud.
Unfortunately, despite their generous offer of unlimited storage, they do have a file size limit. The solution itself doesn’t support Linux. Plus, with a standard plan starting at $55, paywalls for features and their enforced 5-user pricing plan, it’s safe to say that Sharefile isn’t the most affordable solution for smaller organizations. Reportedly, Sharefile’s licensing plans are also misleading.
Pros
Great plugin support. For instance: the Outlook plug-in makes it easy to share files securely with customers via email.
Flexible folder creation and sharing process
Easily share large files with clients, vendors and external personnel
Allows multiple remote teams to collaborate in real-time with a simple management process.
Cons
Interface is less intuitive compared to other solutions.
Not commonly used in all industries, presenting a learning curve to some users.
Sorting out your preferences is time-consuming. As a standalone product it suffers from lack of integration with Google and/or Microsoft products.
Confusing and varied pricing with many features locked behind paywalls
Conclusion
There is, of course, no one-size-fits-all EFSS option, but we hope that this helps your enterprise, company or organization make a better and informed decision about which EFSS solution is best for you. If you have any questions about our FileCloud solution, we are always happy to answer them — just pop over to our main site and strike up a conversation with any of our live chat specialists!
In our age of information, most modern enterprises have started to move towards the digitization of data. Never have there been quite so many enterprise file-synchronization and sharing (EFSS) solutions available on the market — and while a wide range of choice is always good, it also makes it much more difficult to choose the perfect solution for your organization.
Box is one such top contender and one of the biggest solutions on the market. However, there are certain issues with Box that make it a less-than-desirable option for certain enterprises. As such, we’ve put together a list of great EFSS solutions for your consideration, as well as their pros and cons, so that you can pick the one that offers all the features your enterprise might need, while remaining affordable and within your price range.
✓ Security: A regulatory-compliant Zero-Knowledge Provider. Tools to manage user perms and customer-managed encryption keys.
✓ Features: Secure collaborative and project-management tools, as well as rule sets for work-flow automation
While perhaps less of a household name than Dropbox, Box, founded in 2005 and based in California, is also an incredibly strong contender on the EFSS market. With tools that integrate with other services, like Google Docs, Box also goes above and beyond in offering custom branding capabilities and letting users create a professional appearance for their organization.
Plus, Box’s security is nothing to scoff about, being a uniquely zero-knowledge provider and offering tons of options for encryption and user management.
Unfortunately, with their heavy local encryption, Box transfers tend to get slow — something that could impede or even cripple the seamless remote workflows that have become the norm today. Box also does not offer any options for on-premise or self-hosting, nor local storage, and does not perform end-point backups. Plus, while it certainly provides tons of enterprise-level features, it’s also significantly pricier than almost any solution on the market.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of its finer points, for ease of comparison:
Pros:
Mobile access
Integration with other applications such as: Microsoft Office, Google, Salesforce, DocuSign etc
Ability to add/edit multiple users
Editing documents
Workflow automation
Box “Notes” functionality for project management tasks, such as status updates and meeting notes
Custom Branding
Global compliance standards, such as ITAR, HIPAA, PCI DSS 3.1, FINRA/SEC 17a-4, FISMA, ISO27001:2013, and ISO 27018
Unfortunately, as mentioned, there are some huge deal-breakers that come with the solution.
Cons:
No indication when a file is open by another user, leading to over-saving of each other’s work during collaboration.
Box is relatively pricey compared to its competitors
Not much documentation and an unfriendly user interface make it hard to get into
Box Sync doesn’t work on older Windows OS versions
Transfers can be slow due to heavy local encryption
Now that we’ve gone over Box in-depth, let’s go over some alternatives, in case those aforementioned issues are in fact a deal-breaker for your company.
✓ Security: FileCloud is compliant with all the most stringent data governance policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Encryption at rest and in transit, 256-bit AES encryption, granular file-sharing, password-protected, public and private shares.
✓ Features: From deployment models to unlimited client accounts, branding capabilities and more, FileCloud is filled with incredible enterprise-level features.
Naturally, we’re proud of our own product and firmly believe FileCloud to be one of the most powerful and affordable EFSS solutions on the market. FileCloud offers on-premise, public and a unique hybrid cloud deployment model. This deployment flexibility separates FileCloud from its competitors, and ensures that your team can enjoy the benefits of both on-premise and cloud storage systems — read more on our hybrid infrastructure here.
Our pricing is also one of the most affordable on the market, while offering larger storage plans, better enterprise-level features, and unlimited FREE external client accounts — all great for your wallet and your ROI. Feature-wise, we consider seamless, remote access to your data as the bare minimum that a good file-solution should offer. Collaborative and content management tools, a comprehensive admin panel, plus infinite customization options are all features that ensure not just your team, but also your clients and sysadmins get in on the enhanced EFSS experience.
Last but certainly not least, FileCloud is compliant with most data security governance policies, meaning that you’ll never see your organization’s good name tainted in headlines labelled with “Security Breach” or “Data Leaks”. Plus. it’ll save you tons on the fines and fees that’ll rack up if you go with a less-secure option.
Pros
Beautiful, simple, intuitive and responsive user interface that can be accessed via local client or browser.
Tons of keyboard shortcuts and quick actions to cut down on time
No file limit — massive files can be exchanged with anyone anywhere in the world at enterprise level speeds.
Ultimate data governance compliance and security, with DLP functionalities, an extensive admin panel, audit trails, encryption and multi-factor authentication
Collaborative tools and integration with tons of common office software
Enterprise-level content management capabilities: file-versioning, metadata classification, user policy management and light workflows for the easier management and organization of your team’s hard work.
Unlimited free external accounts for clients, vendors, etc.
Cons
Setup process can be intimidating without proper training, although there is documentation to mitigate that.
Unable to use a protocol different than HTTPs for downloads; this can be problematic for companies that restrict it.
The solution does not offer a free plan, although there is a two week free trial and a 10$/year Community Edition Plan.
Dropbox
✓Pricing: Basic Plan: Free | Plus Plan: $11.99/user/month | Professional Plan: $19.99/user/month
✓ Storage: Basic Plan: 2GB | Plus Plan: 2TB | Professional Plan: 3TB
✓ Security: AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and AES 128-bit encryption for data in transit; however, known past security issues
✓ Features: Unique “Paper” and “Showcase” features: basic “Notes” and “Portfolio” app respectively
Of course, we’d be remiss to not mention Dropbox in a file-sharing solution comparison post. With its clean, intuitive UI and easy-to-use features, Dropbox has become a well-known, household name in terms of file storage. Dropbox also offers password-protected links, integration for Office 365 and Google Drive, and strong administrative tools. However, while it certainly has its pros, we feel strongly that there are better enterprise-level file-sharing solutions — and here’s why.
Due to the system’s popularity, it’s always been a popular target for hackers. Even now, it doesn’t offer local encryption. Their customer service certainly leaves more to be desired, as seen from their lack of 24/7 customer support.
And above all that, despite having fewer features than many enterprise-level solutions out there, Dropbox is far from the most affordable on the market, especially with their 5-user minimum. Plus, with their measly 2GB- free storage and paywalls for unlimited storage, it certainly feels like the solution is out to milk their users dry.
✓ Storage: Free Plan: 15GB | Basic Plan: 30GB | Business & Enterprise Plan: Unlimited, or 1TB / user if less than 5 users
✓ Security: Encryption in transit; no option to encrypt individual documents. Multi-factor authentication.
✓ Features: Google Drive comes with powerful, recognized collaborative tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Having quickly risen in popularity over the past couple of years, Google Drive is now a powerful file-sharing solution on the market. A file storage and synchronization program created by Google, it’s best known for its collaborative capabilities via Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, which offer real-time collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and slides respectively.
The solution’s enterprise plan, GSuite, comes with a similarly clean and intuitive UI, as well as integration with popular enterprise softwares such as Autodesk, Salesforce, and more. Apart from this, Google Drive for Business offers unlimited cloud storage, access from any device, offline file access, includes apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Google Sites, as well as enterprise-grade access controls, e-discovery for emails, chats and files.
However, reportedly, users have encountered frequent connectivity and syncing issues while using Google Drive. Plus, while Google Drive has fairly beefy data security with encryption in-transit and at-rest, human error on part of the developers has led to security issues, such as when Google Photos started sending private videos to strangers.
Pros
Lovely mobile application and collaborative tools for anywhere, anytime access
Has a great free option, making it useful any small businesses that do not have a lot of funds
Readily compatible with many apps.
Ease of installation, ease of setup and you don’t need the knowledge to use it as an end-user.
Gmail integration (of course)
Cons
The processes of uploading (automatically), deleting, scrolling, and downloading are tedious as they have to be done by checking each file.
Interface becomes quickly cluttered when large amounts of files are uploaded and edited
No virtual drives or mounting to computers as hard drives
Security issues galore in the past; they’ve been fixed today, but it’s still certainly concerning.
OneDrive
✓Pricing: Business Plan 1: $5/user/month | Business Plan 1: $10/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5/user/month | Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month
✓ Storage: All Plans: 1TB – extra storage space can be purchased separately for up to 1TB/$9.99/month
✓ Security: Standard encryption, file-locking, paywalls for SSO/SAML Authentication
✓ Features: Advanced sharing, mobility and security. Heavy integration with Office software.
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Office. Naturally, this Microsoft-based solution heavily integrates with Office 365 programs that most teams use, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as Outlook, which is a huge plus. Certain plans even grant access to said software. It also provides encryption at rest and in transit. Overall, it has robust features that make it a strong solution, as expected from Microsoft.
Unfortunately, data privacy issues have surfaced time and time again with large corporations, and OneDrive is no exception. When using this solution, Microsoft can scan your files for “objectionable content”, stating that file security cannot be guaranteed for said content.
Pros
Great integration with other Microsoft Office Tools
Device synchronization ensures access of files from any device.
Cloud storage of data makes it’s easy to access files and documents.
Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
Cons
Data privacy issues and lack of multi-factor / other authentication options
Has less base storage and quickly gets pricey past the 1TB storage option
User interface is clunky and takes time to get used to
Syncing of shared files can produce issues and even get slow
Sharefile is Citrix’s enterprise-class cloud storage solution, and they’re well-known in the commercial software and service industry. Notable features of Sharefile include an auditing system that generates activity reports, integration with Single Sign-On, download alerts, and two-factor authentication. This cuts down on the amount of time it would take to print out a document, sign it, and scan it to the cloud.
Unfortunately, despite their generous offer of unlimited storage, they do have a file size limit. The solution itself doesn’t support Linux. Plus, with a standard plan starting at $55, paywalls for features and their enforced 5-user pricing plan, it’s safe to say that Sharefile isn’t the most affordable solution for smaller organizations. Reportedly, Sharefile’s licensing plans are also misleading.
Pros
Great plugin support. For instance: the Outlook plug-in makes it easy to share files securely with customers via email.
Flexible folder creation and sharing process
Easily share large files with clients, vendors and external personnel
Allows multiple remote teams to collaborate in real-time with a simple management process.
Cons
Interface is less intuitive compared to other solutions.
Not commonly used in all industries, presenting a learning curve to some users.
Sorting out your preferences is time-consuming. As a standalone product it suffers from lack of integration with Google and/or Microsoft products.
Confusing and varied pricing with many features locked behind paywalls
Conclusion
There is, of course, no one-size-fits-all EFSS option, but we hope that this helps your enterprise, company or organization make a better and informed decision about which EFSS solution is best for you. If you have any questions about our FileCloud solution, we are always happy to answer them — just pop over to our main site and strike up a conversation with any of our live chat specialists!
In November 2020, FileCloud released update 20.2 – a complete rehaul of our Sync, Mobile and browser UI and functionalities. We at FileCloud have been working on this for a very, very long time, and so we’re incredibly proud to present to you: FileCloud Aurora.
Today, we’re going to be covering one of the most important security functions that Aurora introduces: DRM Capabilities.
For a comprehensive overview of all of FileCloud Aurora’s new features, please visit our previous blog post Introducing FileCloud Aurora!.
Secure Document Viewer
If the new UI was the biggest change in terms of appearance, FileCloud Aurora’s new Digital Rights Management (DRM) capabilities are unquestionably the most significant change in terms of functionality.
Your data security has always been FileCloud’s number one priority. We’ve got all the files you’re storing with us safe and sound, but what happens when you need to send out or distribute important documents, such as external contracts, reports, or training materials? Our new DRM solution ensures that nothing you send out gets used in a malicious or abusive manner, even after it’s left your system and entered others.
Our secure document viewer helps you protect confidential files from unsolicited viewing with FileCloud’s restricted viewing mode. Show only selected parts of the document and hide the rest of it — or choose to reveal sections only as the user scrolls, minimizing the risk of over-the-shoulder compromisation.
For more details, read more about the FileCloud DRM solution here!
Screenshot Protection
Utilize the Screenshot Protection feature to prevent recipients from taking screenshots of secure information and documents.
This is an option that can be selected when you create your DRM Document or Document Container, and prevents any recipients from taking screenshots of the document. Not only that, the recipient won’t be able to share screens or screen-record to share the documents either, nullifying any chance of your documents being distributed without your permission or consent.
Document Container
Easily and securely export multiple documents in an encrypted document container (AES 256 encryption), and share it via FileCloud or third party emails.
Support for Multiple File Formats
Protect your Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel), PDF, and image (jpeg, png) files, and include multiple types of files in a single encrypted document container! FileCloud’s DRM solution doesn’t discriminate, ensuring all your most regularly used file, folder and document formats can all be easily handled by our containers and viewer.
Anytime Restriction of Access to Your Files
Remove the risk of accidentally transmitting confidential files and enforce your policy controls even after distribution. You can revoke file access or change view options (screenshot protection, secure view and max account) anytime, via the FileCloud portal.
Thanks for Reading!
We at FileCloud thank you for being a part of our journey to creating the most revolutionary user interface and experience on the market. We’d love to know what you think about these changes. For full information about all these changes, release notes can be found on our website here.
We hope that you’re as excited about these new changes as we are. Stay safe, and happy sharing, everyone!
FileCloud 20.1 Updates, End-point Backup and More!
FileCloud 20.1 Update
With Microsoft Office tag support, expanded notification configuration and much more, our 20.1 update is brimming with quality of life features! Read on for a little more detail about what we’ve done to take your file-sharing experience to the next level.
More Ways to Control and Configure Notifications – Notifications — can’t live without them, but they sure can get annoying when they’re pinging you about stuff that doesn’t matter. So we made configuring everything about them including the type of notifications per user and per folder possible. Gone are the days of email clutter!
Built-In Microsoft Office Tag Support – FileCloud now allows users to import Office tags into FileCloud as well as to seamlessly search by them. With most organizations using Microsoft Office for daily professional and personal needs, FileCloud has always heavily prioritized Office integrations — and this update is no exception. Users can now even set up Content Classification Engine (CCE) and Data Leak Protection (DLP) rules based on Office tags. Check out our support documentation here.
Automatic Team Folder Permission Updates – New team folder permission updates are now applied during folder-syncing operations, ensuring that no one is able to access secure data at any point of the syncing process. Read up on how to enable this here.
SMS Integration & Gateways – FileCloud now seamlessly integrates with custom SMS gateways to enhance your security and convenience. Receive verifications and authentication from your custom SMS gateways to your personal mobile devices!
Integration with Multiple Identity Providers (IdP – )FileCloud now integrates with multiple identity providers to support large enterprises who authenticate and authorize multiple IdPs.
Seeing a system error and wondering if your data got lost or compromised, is terrifying. Realizing that your data is gone, irretrievable and you just lost hours and hours of tedious work is devastating. We know the feeling all too well and that is why we made sure you will never go through that rollercoaster of emotions!
You can configure endpoint backup settings for all users or specific users, and view all users’ backed up files from your FileCloud account. You can enable this from the server-side to allow “end” users to “backup” all their important files from different devices using FileCloud Sync (Windows/macOS) and mobile applications. All files automatically go to “My Files/Backups,” creating a new folder for each device.
FileCloud now supports Microsoft Office365 Preview and you can easily enable this from your FileCloud Admin Portal settings to allow users to see MS Office documents the way they are intended to be seen.
Send messages via email directly to Airsend channels without having to switch windows! You can now choose to message your client directly via our desktop apps, reply from your email with your unique channel email address, or respond via email to a channel notification. Whether you’re using Airsend to communicate with your team, clients or acquaintances, your convenience is always our priority.
This article talks about various SharePoint limitations and how they can be a challenge for enterprises using SharePoint. There are limits to how many files and folders you can view within team folders, limits on how many files and folders you can store, limits on number of files you can sync, and much more. All such SharePoint limitations can force enterprises to look for better SharePoint alternatives, especially when there are better options at a much affordable cost.
SharePoint’s Infamous 5,000 Item Limit
SharePointLimits Library View to 5,000 Items
SharePoint Library is equivalent to FileCloud’s “Team Folders”
In SharePoint, you cannot view more than 5,000 items within a Library/Team Folder, unlike FileCloud, which has no limit.
Enterprises often easily exceed 5,000+ files, in which case SharePoint will not display all of these files/ folders
SharePoint limits the number of items that are displayed in a given SharePoint Library view (equivalent of FileCloud Team Folders) to 5,000 items. Items include all files as well as the folders.
In practice, enterprises can easily exceed more than 5,000 files and folders within team folders, so the SharePoint item limit can become a significant issue. FileCloud doesn’t have such limitations and you can display all files and folders in a single view.
SharePoint’s SyncLimits
You can sync only up to 5,000 items in a SharePoint library (Team Folders)
This limit includes folders as well as files in the SharePoint Library
You can sync only up to 20,000 items limit in the OneDrive library
Even with the new OneDrive sync client, you can only sync 300,000 files across all libraries. In practice, enterprise team folders often easily exceed these limits. FileCloud, on the other hand, does not impose any limits within the sync client.
FileCloud Sync Client Benefits
No item/ files/ folders limit through FileCloud sync app
Use Selective Sync to sync only the files and folders you need, to save local disk space
Get offline access to network folders
Automatically schedule folder backups
SharePoint’s Complicated Guest User Experience
Steps to Share Files With Guest Users in SharePoint
Enable guest access and external sharing
Enable Guest Access for Office 365 Groups
Invite guest users to Office 365 groups
Guest users now need to setup MS accounts
Only after so many steps, can guest users can access files.
Guest Users can face further complications within SharePoint
Most users have personal Microsoft account and corporate accounts. This means they have to switch back and forth every time they have to access files as a guest user, making the process terribly tedious and user-unfriendly
SharePoint’s guest user experience is not intuitive, as mentioned before and reported by many users.
Guests may have to setup multiple accounts in order to access files
Overall, users have rated that they would prefer sharing files via email over setting up guest accounts.
With FileCloud, inviting guest users is a single-step process
Invite guest user via email, and that’s it.
For security, you can password protect the share as well. For public shares, a FileCloud account is not required and for private share, guest users need to create the FileCloud account.
SharePoint’s Permission Inheritance Issues
What is “Permission Inheritance” ?
In SharePoint, children files and folders automatically inherit permission levels from their parent folder/ site.
Breaking Permission Inheritance
To manage individual files/ folders, users have to change permissions and break permission inheritance.
Permission Inheritance Limitation
If your SharePoint Library has over 100,000 items with unique SharePoint permissions, you will get an error while breaking the permission inheritance.
Long Processing Time
Database operations on library items can process limited items in one request. Operations that exceed the 5,000 item limit for permission inheritance can take a long time and may throw an error.
In practice, enterprise file permissions can easily exceed these limits and having limits on setting permissions on important documents is not ideal. Which is why, FileCloud doesn’t has any such limits on setting granular permissions for any file.
SharePoint vs FileCloud
Plan Wise Cost Comparison
Plan Comparison Between FileCloud and SharePoint
SharePoint Online Premium Plan
FileCloud Online Enterprise Plan
Pricing: $29,000+ for 100 users/ year
Pricing: $18,000 for 100 users/ year
No DLP (have to buy extra DLP software)
Smart DLP included
No end-point backup
End-point backup included
No ransomware protection
Built-in ransomware protection
Unlimited guest/ client user accounts
Unlimited guest/ client accounts
Major limitations on existing features
High availability architecture
No high availability architecture
Smart content classification
No smart content classification
No limitations, unlike SharePoint
SharePoint Server Premium Plan
FileCloud Server Standard Plan
Pricing: $14,000+ for 100 users/ year
Pricing: $5,000 for 100 users/ year
Limited storage, buy extra when needed
Unlimited storage
No high availability architecture
High-availability architecture
Large file support (100 GB limit)
Unlimited file size upload support
Deprecated Enterprise Sync (Windows file servers to cloud)
FileCloud ServerSync (Windows file servers to cloud)
More SharePoint Limitations
SharePoint Library Item Limits
A maximum limit of 30 million items/ files and folders can be stored in SharePoint Library, which can easily be exceeded by large enterprises,
Unique permissions for items
SharePoint’s recommended general item limit is 5,000, which is a very small amount and can easily be exceeded in practice, causing errors.
SharePoint file size limit
Maximum file size of 100 GB, which can again be easily exceeded in practice, especially by law, design, architecture and construction firms.
Moving files in a single operation
No more than 30,000 files can be processed in a single operation, and each file must be less than 2 GB. Again, this can be very limiting for enterprises.
In practice, all these limitations can create serious challenges for enterprise teams to collaborate together and can reduce productivity. FileCloud offers a superior EFSS solution with no such limits, and more comprehensive features and security at a much affordable price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the limitations of SharePoint?
A library can contain up to 30 million files and folders. However, if it has more than 100,000 items, you are limited in the changes you can make to permissions. For file upload limits, SharePoint Online allows up to 10 GB per file and 250 MB for file attachments.
When should you not use SharePoint?
You should not use SharePoint if you require high levels of document organization or if you are looking for a tool you can quickly use with little training. SharePoint has issues of poor document visibility and navigation problems. Things get lost easily with more complex folder structures. Also, it is hard to learn for beginners.
Does SharePoint have a character limit?
The character limit for SharePoint Server is 260 characters for all file and path names. If you go over the limit, the system will give you an error message. One way to avoid this is to use a character counting tool. These are available for free online.
What is the storage limit for SharePoint Online?
The storage limit is 1 TB and an additional 10 GB per user. If you reach your storage limit, you can add more for $0.19 per additional GB. That amounts to another $190 every month for one more TB of storage. For number of files, the recommendation is less than 300,000 files for best performance.
What is difference between OneDrive and SharePoint?
The primary difference between SharePoint and OneDrive is that SharePoint has a variety of features beyond file storage and organization and OneDrive is just a file management system. Some of SharePoint’s other features include dashboards, CMS, and collaboration tools. These tools provide a more comprehensive content management experience.
How is SharePoint Online Storage calculated?
SharePoint Online calculates storage based on how many users you have. You get 1 TB and an additional 10 GB per person. That means that if you had a 100-user subscription, then you would have 2 TB of storage total. The calculations for that are 1 TB plus 10 GB times 100 users.
How do I bulk upload to SharePoint?
You can bulk upload to SharePoint by selecting multiple files with the Ctrl or Shift key. After you have chosen the files you want to upload, click OK. Then, click on Datasheet View under Library Tools in the Document Library. This should enable the Upload Multiple Documents command.
If you are familiar with document management and sharing solutions, there’s a high probability that you may have heard about SharePoint. SharePoint document management and collaboration tool came into existence in 2001 developed by Microsoft and has been a popular player in the EFSS market since.
With innovations in the EFSS market, many SharePoint alternatives have emerged as challengers providing unique features for document management and file sharing with focus on security and usability.
Let’s look at some of the most popular alternatives to SharePoint in 2020 and what they have to offer for enterprises.
Being a top EFSS solution ourselves, we have our own standards regarding which solution is a top SharePoint alternative solution. Here are the factors taken into account:
Pricing: SharePoint Office 365 E3 plan costs $24,000/ year for 100 users. We will compare all solutions to find which ones are priced higher or lower than SharePoint and what are the feature differences at this price point.
Data Governance & Compliance: Enterprises handle sensitive data every day and need data governance and retention policies. A good solution helps comply with leading industry regulations and avoid any legal troubles.
Data Security: Which solutions provide data leak prevention, remote wipe, encryption in-transit and at-rest, and more to safeguard your data.
Integration: SharePoint integrates seamlessly with MS Office and related products. We will find out which solutions integrate easily with Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook, so that your workflow stays uninterrupted.
Administrative Tools: We will compare admin features, role based administration, granular permissions and more.
Other Important Features: We will add important add-ons and features like virtual drive, content classification, security modules wherever applicable to give you a transparent view of what to expect from each solution.
FileCloud Online
✓Pricing: $18000/100 users/year (Enterprise) / $5,000/100 users/year for on-premise solution
✓ Storage: 1TB, +200GB/user (Enterprise)
✓ Security: Compliant with all stringent government regulations, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Get smart DLP, encryption at rest and in transit, 256-bit AES encryption, granular file-sharing, password-protected, public and private shares.
✓ Features: Get unlimited client accounts, unlimited file versioning, branding capabilities, hybrid cloud, virtual drive, selective sync and many more enterprise-level EFSS features. Enterprises can also opt for FileCloud Server for an on-premise deployment option.
FileCloud is one of the most powerful and affordable EFSS solutions compared to SharePoint. FileCloud is storage agnostic and can be deployed across any NAS or object storage.
FileCloud is one of the most affordable file sharing solution on the market, providing unlimited FREE external client accounts, remote access to your data, collaboration tools, smart content classification, a comprehensive admin panel, customization and branding options to enhance your enterprise sharing, sync and storage experience.
Google Drive
✓Pricing: Enterprise Plan: $30,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: Enterprise Plan: Unlimited, or 1TB / user if less than 5 users
✓ Security: Multi-factor authentication, encryption in transit; no option to encrypt individual documents. No mechanism for customer-managed encryption keys an your data is collected to provide better services by Google.
✓ Features: Google Drive comes with powerful collaborative tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Google Drive is a very popular cloud storage solution. Google Drive for business is same as the free Google Drive plan, but with unlimited storage and a few security add-on. As you would know, Google Drive works seamlessly with other massively used Google apps, such as Gmail, Calendar, Google docs and Google Sheets, hence it is a popular choice.
The solution’s enterprise plan offers a simple, clean and intuitive UI, and integrates with popular enterprise software like Salesforce, and more. Apart from this, Google Drive for Business offers unlimited storage, access from any device, offline file access, includes productivity apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Google Sites, as well as enterprise-grade access controls, e-discovery for emails, chats and files.
However, reportedly, users have encountered frequent connectivity and sync issueswhile using Google Drive.
Dropbox
✓Pricing: Business Advanced Plan: $24,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: Unlimited Storage
✓ Security: AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and AES 128-bit encryption for data in transit, 180 days data versioning, file recovery, password protected shares, remote wipe, granular permissions, file locking, smart sync, audit logs and more.
✓ Features: Dropbox offers integrations with thousands of third-party apps, so is easier to integrate with existing workflow apps. Offers good collaboration features and offers seamless integration with MS Office and Google Docs. Smart sync helps store files smartly without taking much hard drive space. Admins can monitor team activities and easily transfer files from one user account to another if needed.
Dropbox indeed offers a great EFSS solution, but compared to FileCloud, the features are essentially the same with higher price and Dropbox has seen many security breaches in the recent past. Dropbox has been a popular target for data leaks. Even now, it doesn’t offer local encryption.
Box
✓Pricing: Box Business Plus: $30,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: Unlimited Storage, but max file size upload limit is only 5 GB!
✓ Security: A regulatory-compliant Zero-Knowledge Provider. Tools to manage user permissions and customer-managed encryption keys, tight security regulations, alerts for unusual activities. Box doesn’t provide HIPPA compliance in the business plus plan, no e-discovery, no Box governance, no Box keysafe, no DLP. Even after paying top dollars!
✓ Features: Secure collaborative and project-management tools, as well as rule sets for work-flow automation, versatile document management, mobile and desktop sync, and custom branding capabilities
While perhaps quite similar in popularity with enterprises as Dropbox, Box, is also an incredibly strong alternative to SharePoint in 2020 on the EFSS list. With tools that integrate with top workflow apps, like Google Docs, Box also goes above and beyond in offering custom branding capabilities (like FileCloud) and letting users create a professional appearance for their organization.
Although, Box’s security is great, being a uniquely zero-knowledge provider and offering multiple options for encryption and user management, you don’t get many security features like DLP as mentioned above and there is a version history limit of 50 only, so in our opinion, enterprises can get better ROI with Google Drive or FileCloud.
Egnyte
✓Pricing: Business Plan $24,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: 10TB storage and 10 GB large file transfer
✓ Security: Standard encryption, includes user and group access permissions, security modules like 256-bit AES encryption, multi-factor authentication, device management, remote wipe and more
✓ Features: What stands out most with Egnyte is their great auditing system which timestamps user activities, plus a robust access permission system. Egnyte business plan offers desktop sync, mobile access, MS Outlook integration, MS Office as well as other premium integrations.
Egnyte is another leading enterprise file sharing solution, designed for enterprises. Egnyte provides the branding capabilities to customize brand assets, provides useful sharing and collaborative features, and decent security features.
Unfortunately, certain important business features like role based administration, AD/ LDAP integration and limited online storage can be a deal breaker for businesses, especially when EFSS solutions like FileCloud and Box provide much enahnced experience. There also have been frequent sync/network problems with Egnyte in the past. There is a steep learning curve for their product features and little documentation is provided.
✓ Security: Standard Encryption, Multi-Factor Authentication, NTFS Support
✓ Features: Custom branding, open-source customization options, local storage options
ownCloud is a reliable file sharing infrastructure allowing enterprises to setup a complete private file-sharing solution and avoiding popular public clouds like Google drive or Dropbox. An open source solution, it offers rich features and the ability to use on-premise.
However, ownCloud doesn’t support Windows starting version 8.1.0., and might be a downside for enterprises using Windows servers. Enterprises can opt for FileCloud instead as an ownCloud alternative
Citrix ShareFile
✓Pricing: $29,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: Unlimited Storage Space
✓ Security: Standard encryption and SSL/TLS. Recovery sites in both the US and EU.
✓ Features: Collaborative and productivity-enhancing tools, custom electronic signature tool, access to SSO, unlimited client users (like FileCloud), Outlook and Gmail plugins, unlimited storage, large file size of 100 GB, custom branding, e-signature, mobile and desktop apps, sync, full text search, file versioning, and much more
Sharefile is Citrix’s enterprise cloud storage solution with decent user management features, and an intuitive user experience. Sync works well as reported by users and unlimited client users makes it a decent option to opt for. The file sharing is fast, especially for large files and the folder structure is easy for structuring data.
The solution itself doesn’t support Linux though, so enterprises need to keep that in mind.
NextCloud
✓Pricing: $10,000/100 users/year
✓ Storage: Unlimited Self-Storage/ on-premise
✓ Security: Standard Encryption, SSO, SAML Authentication, 2FA, File-Locking
✓ Features: On-Premise and Cloud file-hosting, large file support, local storage support, OS compatibility
While NextCloud is a free, open-source software, NextCloud Enterprise comes as a powerful EFSS solution. Nextcloud provides an easy access to files on-premise, security features and much more. Some features include desktop sync, supported local storage, custom branding and file locking. Advanced features like data leak prevention, unlimited file versioning, unlimited free client accounts, are not available though unlike FileCloud.
Syncplicity
Syncplicity Cloud Storage Service
✓Pricing: Enterprise Plan (No upfront pricing available)
✓ Storage: 300+ GB
✓ Security: Standard encryption in-transit and at-rest, SSO, 2FA, AD, remote wipe, DLP, customer managed encryption keys and much more
✓ Features: on-premise, Hybrid solution, remote access and mobility
For a solution that’s much less popular and well-known compared to Dropbox or ownCloud, Syncplicity offers a great package with their rich collaboration features, hybrid hosting options, great security, file versioning and backup. You also get unlimited external collaborators like FileCloud and similar enterprise collaboration features.
Syncplicity’s interface is not the most modern compared to other EFSS solutions compared here and whether they will keep updating the product in the future or not is a cause for concern among some organizations without a solid backup plan.
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