One of the things that I genuinely love about Cloud systems is that it is an effortless way to share our information. Conversely, one of the things that drives me utterly nuts and can be a disastrous security concern is the fact that it is a straightforward way to share our information.
1) Know who you’re sharing your files with – I’m not wild about sharing my files with just anyone. I like to know that I have met the person in real life at least once. I get that you may not meet the person you’re sharing your files with; first, I’m just really concerned when I’m asked to share files with an e-mail address that may or may not belong to someone I haven’t met in real life yet.
2) File structured sharing (they can see the data below) – I like reminding people that they need to be cautious about what they are sharing with people. Particularly when it comes to filing systems, you need to be aware of how the shares work. With most filing systems, there are folders and sub-folders (and maybe even more sub-folders) holding all your data. If you have a filing system that goes down ten levels (as an example) and you share the folder, which is five levels down, you will also share everything in the folders below it. If it’s information you are not interested in sharing (or not interested in sharing with that person), I would advise creating a separate folder with only the files that you want to be shared in it.
3) Agree when the share should stop – Depending on the nature of the relationship you have with the person you’re sharing your files with, you may not want to have the share open forever. If, as an example, you’re doing a business deal with someone and your share your folder for the sake of expediency, it’s best practice to advise them that you will stop sharing your files once the business is complete. If you want to set an exact date, I’m confident you can revisit if the deal is likely to go on longer. So long as the person knows when they are getting cut off, you will know that your system will be secure. Leaving too many open connections can be a way for hackers to get into your system. If a hacker were to gain access to the system of someone you are sharing with, they might be able to gain access to your files as well. It’s, therefore, a good idea to cut off old shares where possible.
Sharing files is great. It’s relatively easy, it’s super convenient, and it means that we can share things with people far away if needed. The critical thing to remember is that opening your system to others needs to be closed at one point or another. Best practice would be to go through your folders and see which ones have been shared every once and a while. If there is a folder shared with someone whom you’re not in contact with anymore or doesn’t need access to your files, you can simply go in and revoke the share. I should specify that you likely won’t be able to share or withdraw the shares from your File Explorer or Finder. You will have to go online and configure your shares from the online version itself.
How often do you check your shared folders?
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