Secure Ultra-sensitive Documents with Enhanced Sharing Controls

With robust features such as granular permissions, two-factor authentication, password-protected links and sensitive file scans, Egnyte’s platform makes it easy for companies to securely share and manage the majority of their data, for the majority of users, in the majority of use cases. 

However, there are situations that require a higher level of data governance, control, and confidentiality. These could include managing confidential documents for mergers and acquisitions, funding rounds, high-level partnerships, legal actions, and large financial transactions.

To secure the critical content used in these scenarios, companies would traditionally have spun up entirely separate, standalone file infrastructures. Or they would have sought out purpose-built data room software, which would add significant cost and complexity.  

Egnyte provides a simpler, smarter alternative. With the latest updates to the platform, Egnyte provides a tool kit to restrict highly confidential data only to the intended user groups, such as executives, auditors, attorneys, or financial professionals, along with built-in controls to prevent illicit sharing (whether intentional or accidental).

New capabilities now available include:

• Preview-only folder links
• Watermarking
• Encrypted file delivery
  

Best of all, these newly announced features are available as part of Egnyte’s Enterprise plan. So, if you are already on this plan, you can start taking advantage of them today. If not, contact your Egnyte rep to discuss your options.

You can learn more about each of these updates below.

Preview-only Folder Links

Let’s say your recipients need to preview a large number of files for a complex deal. Rather than send multiple links (one for each file), you can now share a link to a single folder that contains all the preview-only files. This makes it easier to share a large number of files with an outside partner while still ensuring the integrity of each of those files the same way you can for individual files.

First, select a folder and click on share.

Now the option to share a preview-only link appears for folders just as it does for individual files.

When a private link to a folder is selected and the sender does not allow downloads, it creates a preview-only folder link. The preview-only folder link saves time for both sender and receiver. 

The folder preview link can be revoked by the sender—either at a pre-scheduled time or whenever changes in business requirements dictate. This effectively removes access to all the files with a single click. The “Notify me” option allows the sender to know the workflow is progressing. They will receive a notification as soon as the recipient opens the folder.

Watermarking

In situations where recipients should be discouraged from forwarding critical information, the sender can watermark files shared via links. This feature imprints an indelible “mark” across the page to indicate that the document is confidential and should not be shared. 

Normally, the watermark appears on the screen in preview-only mode, but if you allow downloads, the file itself (PDF, DOC) can also be watermarked. As an additional deterrent, you can choose to use dynamic watermarking, where the viewer’s IP address is included in the watermark text. Thus, if a document is leaked in a multi-party deal, for example, it can be traced back to the organization that leaked it. 

You can choose to watermark a file by simply checking the box when preparing to share it.

Encrypted File Delivery

Sometimes, a preview-only link is insufficient in terms of the security controls assigned to a file. For example, in confidential due diligence projects, a user may need to share complex spreadsheets that must be opened locally on a recipient’s device. In that case, you may want an additional layer of encryption in transit to make sure the file is stored in an encrypted form on the recipient’s machine. 

With encrypted file delivery, you can enforce encrypted downloads when sharing links. When the recipient receives the link and clicks on it, they will be asked to authenticate using their email address. Once authenticated, they will be taken to a screen to download and install a special lightweight client from Egnyte called FileGuard.

FileGuard is a free client from Egnyte (available on PC and Mac) that manages encrypted downloads and storage on the recipient’s machine. It only decrypts the file while the recipient is working with it. Because FileGuard validates the decryption key each time the file is opened, the sender has the option to revoke access any time after the file has been downloaded. Therefore, when the due diligence project concludes, you can remotely revoke access to all files that have been downloaded during the process, thus increasing security—and peace of mind. 

Get Started Today

Using these tools, Egnyte Enterprise customers can now assemble a “situation room” for large deals, M&A, funding rounds, and other critical business events that require additional controls. Combining all the familiar, intuitive collaboration tools of the Egnyte platform, with secure file sharing for highly sensitive files. 

For more information on the individual features, learn how to get started with preview-only folder links and Watermarking.

And this is just the start. Stay tuned for more functionality to come.