Standardizing and consolidating data exchange to solve the secure file transfer puzzle

Over the last few months, my family and many others have slowed down and spent more quality time together. We’ve streamed movies and shows, played board games and, most recently, done puzzles together.

While working on a puzzle with my family, I realized that at work, my team’s goal is also solving “puzzles” in the form of complex business problems for our clients. Most of these complex problems help clients efficiently deal with the exponential rise in data exchange, simplify file transfer, and unleash the power of data more capably to the business – without sacrificing security.

Solving your business puzzles

Well before the global pandemic, the exponential growth in size and volume of files (and data) being transferred within enterprises and across partner ecosystems, was straining organizations of all sizes. The increasing number of endpoints and devices spread across the globe, the rise in remote work, and business users who expect simple, modern interfaces to support their workflows, are driving significant change in file transfer solution needs. For example, one study found that having a remote workforce increases the average total cost of a data breach to $4 million per breach. Meanwhile, unprecedented data threats are justifiably leading to tightened security policies and compliance mandates – like Payment Card Industry Security Standards (PCI DSS) and Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 – requiring better governance over file exchanges.

Adapting to all these changes is increasingly difficult, as most organizations’ Managed File Transfer (MFT) infrastructure has evolved in complex and unwieldy ways over time. Did you know that on average, organizations have nine file transfer systems — with some in use for almost a decade and 55 percent of systems integration relies on successful file transfers? Multiple legacy systems create a lack of visibility into and control of file transfers, making it impossible to proactively correct failures or anticipate delays before they impact downstream business activities.

Leaders across industries are overcoming these challenges by modernizing their approach to data exchange. Equifax is a prime example. They have experienced an increase in file transfer volumes over the past three years. To effectively manage that growth, they consolidated seven file transfer platforms in North America with more deployed globally and modernized their B2B data exchange environment which became a cornerstone of their digital transformation initiatives. Another example, is from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), who were able to simplify their MFT environment for an easier administration experience.

Move data securely at speed and scale

To help clients quickly, easily and securely modernize their B2B data exchange environments, IBM is announcing the availability of IBM Sterling Secure File Transfer v2.0. It is a bundle that provides a unified file transfer platform so you can securely move and track mission-critical information within your enterprise and across your partner network. Sterling Secure File Transfer v2.0 has everything you need to handle your gateway and point-to-point data movement requirements with visibility, management and advanced security capabilities to govern and protect your enterprise.

Sterling Secure File Transfer v2.0 provides enhancements to a number of existing capabilities, including:

◉ Visibility – Modern user experiences simplify tracking of critical events across your MFT environment for improved operations, customer service and B2B governance.

◉ Management – Automatic health monitoring simplifies identification of potential issues impacting performance.

◉ Security – Dynamic virus scanning for incoming files, advanced IP address validation, and built-in Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) support helps protect your organization against external threats.

Figure 1: Visibility capabilities in Secure File Transfer v2.0 

Sterling Secure File Transfer v2.0 also introduces new capabilities focused on cloud deployment:

◉ Support for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform simplifies deployment across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure, helping lower costs while enhancing scalability for your business needs.

◉ Centralized lifecycle management helps you maintain existing and deploy new MFT endpoints with standardized builds to increase efficiency and reduce response times.

Sterling Secure File Transfer v2.0 is available in multiple editions designed to meet the needs of small, medium and large businesses.

I’m proud of the work our experts do to build reliable, secure and automated solutions. We love a good puzzle so I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn more about how we can help you solve your toughest managed file transfer puzzles by contacting me or reaching out to your IBM representative.

Source: ibm.com