Versioning Archives - Triofox Blog

Remote Working Technology: How To Avoid VPN Issues and Secure Network Assets

There is no doubt that remote working offers numerous benefits regarding efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. But to reap these benefits, the right technology must be in place to support remote working. However, data sharing is the foundation that makes remote working possible for companies, with employee’s ability to work remotely being heavily reliant on how quickly and efficiently vital data and files can be accessed by those in need of such data.

One major challenge faced by businesses with employees working remotely is accessing corporate files securely. Hence, the goal is to secure network assets while ensuring employees working remotely have the ease of access as someone working in the office.

This blog explores the most common connection challenges faced by remote users and the best way to solve these issues.

VPN Limitations for Remote Working

Following the global lockdown declaration, it is understandable that most companies opted for Virtual Private Networks, the seemingly fastest connection route to keep their businesses afloat.

Many have since realized the problem with that choice. Listed below are the significant limitations of VPNs:

Offline Editing Capability

With companies hiring cross-continent while offering the work from home option, their employees must have offline editing options. The necessity is even more pronounced for digital nomads or employees working on the go, as they are likely to suffer internet inconsistencies.

Because VPNs require an active/ dedicated connection, when remote employees can’t access the files they need to work on in a timely fashion, it leads to a massive drop in productivity.

Leverage Content Delivery Network (CDN)

VPN traversing over a long distance is slow and fails to leverage CDN benefits such as improved uptime, reduced bandwidth, and SSL encryption, all available for HTTP-based protocols.

Integrate With Zero Trust Security Model

Businesses widely adopt the zero-trust approach to secure valuable network assets, particularly given the rise in remote working. Meanwhile, VPNs by their nature weren’t intended for the remote workforce as it requires perimeter access/ server proximity to work effectively.

Also, VPNs are the polar opposite of the zero trust model. Zero trust implementation is mostly HTTPS-based as a gateway, intercepting HTTPS communications and prompting authentication using advanced authentication methods. VPNs grant unrestricted access to the network, expanding attack surface areas.

Employee’s Hack Leads to Data Sprawl

Another challenge is data sprawl, whereby a user copies important files locally to maintain offline access. Not only does this lead to data inconsistencies, but it also compromises data security.

It is essential to keep data consistent even when offline, especially when working in teams. Ideally, all your data would be synced up when connected to the Internet, so changes are updated on the server and reside securely in the cloud.

Dampens Remote Work Experience

Employee experience in remote working is crucial. As shown in Riverbed’s Future Of Work global survey, VPN logins and disconnection issues were cited as especially problematic. The disconnection from the corporate network and slow file downloads was two of the most significant problems faced by remote working respondents.

If your remote users are constantly being disconnected from the enterprise every time they try to access file shares over the Internet, they could get irritated or frustrated.

Securing the network infrastructure to support flexible working styles is necessary for businesses that are yet to implement a remote working policy. Hence, while a VPN seems like a secure way to connect multiple remote computers to the network, it is not a sustainable option.

Why Any Cloud Solution Just Won’t Cut It

With cloud computing, data stored in one place can be accessed by anyone regardless of where they are physically located. It also offers scalability, efficiency, and profitability benefits. For these reasons, migrating to the cloud is often an attractive option.

For example, migrating to cloud collaborative platforms SharePoint can be a desirable option. But such migration might not be ideal for businesses with specific data infrastructure, especially those built up over several years and spread across multiple file shares, machines, and locations. The uncertainty of the financial implication makes it cost-prohibitive for SMBs with large data sets.

How Triofox Addresses VPN and Cloud Migration Issues

Triofox is designed to give users remote access to existing file shares. It is a great cloud-enabled file sharing and syncing platform that enables secure access across all devices.

This solution is perfect for businesses that:

Have large data sets spread across multiple servers.
Need to enhance the remote working experience for their staff.
Operate in AEC verticals with remote employees.
Require a long-term and sustainable secure file and collaboration solution.

Below are some more benefits of Triofox:

Cross-Site Collaboration

When working with a team, file locking is essential for preventing versions from being accidentally overwritten or deleted. Most cloud services don’t support CAD files, but with Triofox’s mapped drive, users can access the file locking and version control features to keep track of the changes.

When working offline, files stored in the local cache are encrypted and can automatically be synchronized when the internet connection is restored.

Support for Large Files and Private File Shares

Triofox affords users the option to transfer large files as secure web links. It takes away the redundancy of copying files to an external storage service to collaborate with partners or clients. It can also integrate with Outlook to automatically convert file attachments to links, secure files with data-at-rest encryption, and transfer over SSL.

Always-On, HTTPS-Based Drive Mapping

Users no longer have to worry about being suddenly disconnected from the network, as Triofox’s mapped drive is a constant. It is simple enough that authorized users can connect to the network at any time without help or network interference.

Centralized Control Across Multiple Sites

Triofox syncs data to a global namespace. It provides desktop agents and mobile applications for a complete end-to-end access solution and simplifies the user experience. It maintains data consistency with versioning and integrates directly with Microsoft Active Directory for user and permission management.

Other advantages over VPN include:

● Eliminate network downtime and provide remote access to enterprise file shares from anywhere without a VPN.
● Reduce network spread and reduce corporate risk. Eliminate costly workarounds commonly used by remote users to access their company file server.
● Triofox provides an efficient, discreet, and cost-effective way for your remote workers to work from any location, even off-grid, by offering offline access to cached file server shares.
● Centralizes data that is spread across multiple locations and devices and can serve as a zero trust solution for remote file server access.
● Triofox combines the advantages of DFS, VPN, and cloud storage to provide a private cloud structure, offering better control over cost and security.

To get started on Triofox, sign up for a free trial or schedule a demo.

How Businesses Can Securely Share Data and Collaborate Between Various Networks

Any organization’s most valuable asset is its information because it is integral to decision-making, forecasting, and resource allocation. And the more accurate, timely, and consistent information is to business operations, the better one can respond to changing customer needs. Hence, constant and effective data sharing is the key to business success. However, for some verticals, sharing files between different networks is a challenge.

Sharing files across multiple networks can present some bottlenecks, and the costs and difficulties involved in setting up the necessary infrastructure can make this process time-consuming, inefficient, and expensive.

The primary goal of this article is to help businesses understand how Triofox can protect their valuable data and share it across distributed networks to work more efficiently.

Users can quickly share data among themselves and external business partners for collaborative work in today’s digital world. As a result, data is a vital aspect in enhancing performance and productivity, regardless of the type of business. As an enterprise, however, ensuring that data is transmitted securely can be difficult.

In an environment where the business data is located on isolated networks, there should be an easy way to share files securely and efficiently across them. But that is not always the case. Here is a real-life scenario:

An agency operating in different locations needed an easy way to move exported data to other networks. They accumulated several GB per day of emails with their workflow and required a solution accessible to 100-200 users. However, they used the manual approach to data sharing. Employees from other networks had to upload data from the virtual machines in their lab environments to cloud applications to make them accessible to other employees. Currently, they use Accellion to copy the files between networks manually. Both processes proved challenging as they have about 5 TB of information, and on some occasions, large files failed to transfer. Matter-of-fact, they had several situations where the files did fail (smaller than 100GB).

Gladinet’s Triofox solution makes data sharing straightforward. Unlike the existing means of file sharing, it eliminates those extra steps where users have to copy data into an external cloud solution. Instead, users can quickly turn a folder into a web-facing folder, accessible to users on other networks via a mapped drive.

The way out is to deploy Triofox on one network, and have other networks connected to the desired folders using its mapped drive.

Cost-Effective Alternative to Datto BCDR Appliance for Small Business Customers

Businesses can also benefit from Triofox’s scalable cloud backup and disaster recovery solution, which has a lower total cost of ownership, more flexibility, and, of course, security. For many firms, integrating disaster recovery and backup services is essential. In addition, customizing services to meet your company’s demands fosters trust and can help decide its profitability.

Because cost might deter using cloud services, consolidating different cloud services products for efficiency could be a game-changer. Many firms fail to establish an adequate backup plan for business continuity and disasters because the cost is a decisive issue for them when picking a backup solution.

Our BCDR strategy combines on-premises capabilities with cloud-based storage to preserve data for clients’ business needs and make it accessible whenever and wherever they are needed. Triofox accomplished this using version control to the files, and it keeps snapshots and full logs of file modifications.

Triofox’s sync and share feature turn on-premises file servers into private file sharing servers and a centralized data repository as files are stored at multiple locations on different devices. Hence, they act as backups, and previous versions can easily be restored.

Simplified Access & Management

Businesses need a simple product to deploy and manage while providing a simplified data-sharing experience across networks or geographies to increase productivity and improve efficiency.

Dispersed teams have created a demand for a more efficient data-sharing solution that utilizes existing infrastructure to efficiently distribute information among a broad set of data partners. Some solutions are so complex that users have to reach out to the IT department to share large files or specific file formats, increasing employee frustration and reducing productivity.

Compliance problems arise when businesses entrust their data to third-party cloud services during file sharing. Not only do they open themselves up to lawsuits, but they also risk leaking vital information to big players. However, with Triofox, businesses gain the flexibility of a public consumer cloud service without compromising control over corporate data. Its key features are mobility, ease of access, and security.

Triofox provides advanced drive mapping technology in its solution. It is the perfect option for businesses with security concerns about using external cloud storage for sensitive information. The mapped drive provides:

Endpoint encryption.
On-demand synchronization.
Local file caching.
Binary differential uploads.
Other optimizations for files and folders to be accessed over the Internet.

Triofox offers centralized control over data permissions and updates, missing when end-users engage external cloud storage services like Dropbox.

In all, Triofox offers a holistic solution to corporate data sharing and proactive backup services for disaster recovery.

To learn more about how Triofox can better suit your organization’s needs, request a demo

Protect Your Data with Versioning Software and a Retention Policy

Companies produce a considerable amount of digital data every day, including reports, invoices, emails, and other documents. So, what happens if you accidentally delete an important file? You could lose that file forever. You can even be hit by ransomware in the worst-case scenario and lose access to all files in your database. The solution? Versioning and a strong retention policy.

What Is Versioning?

Versioning, also known as version control, is creating and storing multiple versions of the same files. It is used to keep track of both digital documents and software.

To make it easier to check for previous versions of a file, they have a number. If you see a file with version 3.1, for example, you know that versions 3.0 or below are older, while any version from 3.1.1 and forward has been updated.

The first number indicates significant improvements or changes in the document, while the second is a minor revision. A possible third or fourth digit indicates further minor modifications.

An example could be a plan to devise a new product. When it is still a prototype, you would most likely label it as version 0.1, then 0.2, 0.2.1 (after minor tweaks), and then finally 1.0 when it is ready for launch. After the first update, your product files would be 1.1 or even 2.0 if it is a significant overhaul.

The main advantage of versioning is how it helps you organize your documents. It also allows you to backup each version, so you have copies should one be lost.

Similar systems had existed since the 1960s, back when the first computers were used to process and store data.

How Does A Retention Policy Work?

Suppose versioning is the act of creating different versions of a document. In that case, a retention policy is a holistic policy that determines these records’ lifecycle. By using it, you can determine how much time your company should keep a file before deletion.

Some firms deal with this problem by keeping records of everything forever. However, this will quickly turn into a problem. A new company can get away with it for some years, but it will need an insane amount of space if nothing is ever erased. Also, it makes it harder to find information because there’s much more of it to go through.

It is crucial to coordinate different departments and define timelines for keeping these documents to establish an efficient retention policy. You will also need to use versioning file software. It helps to create backup files and keep the organization simple without costing too many human resources.

The process takes time. However, it’s well worth it because of the security that it provides in the long-term.

The Reasons Why You Should Care About Having a Retention Policy

While implementing an effective retention policy may seem costly and complicated, the results are undeniably positive.

It protects your company from losing access to your files and helps it to be compliant with rules and regulations that may affect your business if you do not keep records of your activities. It even protects you against human error or damages to your hardware that may cause the loss of information.

Versioning Also Helps Protect You from Ransomware

The most immediate advantage of using versioning systems is to be protected from the dreaded ransomware attacks, which are getting more common every day. Researchers are already warning that ransomware attacks may have risen seven-fold compared to last year.

According to them, the technology used by hackers continues to evolve as they devise new threats. Some of the most popular ransomware used last year was dropped this year in favor of more aggressive versions.

So, it is impossible to be protected without investing heavily in cybersecurity and having a backup if something terrible does happen.

Sometimes, these attacks can cost thousands or even millions of dollars to companies. The larger your company is, the more expensive the ransom will be.

However, if you use specialized software as part of your retention policy, you will likely have several copies of your documents in the cloud. In the worst cases, you may end up losing a few days of work, but it is still not as tragic as having to pay millions of dollars to be able to run your business.

You need to remove the ransomware, reformat your drive, and as soon as your system is clean, you are ready to download the files again.

Retention Policies May Help You to Be Compliant with The Law

Another primary reason to instate a retention policy is to be compliant with local guidelines involving data retention. All companies need to provide reports about financial transactions. Depending on your region, you may need to keep records for years. If you do not, you may be subject to hefty fines. It’s easy to lose old files, so the system helps you to organize.

The information you need to keep depends on which industry you are a part of and in which state your business is based. These rules may even change in specific situations. So, it is vital to take the time to set up a plan.

Protection Against Accidents

Accidents are possibly the most common reason why companies ever use backup files. They can be divided into two types: human error and hardware failure.

In the first case, an employee makes a mistake and ends up deleting information that was not meant to be erased. Sometimes, you can get it back, but your chances will be slim if nobody immediately sees the error.

If you keep all your files in dedicated hardware without backup, your hard drive can stop functioning one day, and you will lose everything. Using new hardware can help avoid issues, but it’s not a guaranteed solution, as even new hard drives can malfunction.

How to Implement a Successful Retention Policy

Creating a set of retention policies is hard work, but you can do it by following these steps:

Determine a versioning software: Start by picking software that will do most of the hard work for you. You need one that offers cloud-based services (to have a backup) and tools that will help you to organize different versions of the files. You should also look for a system that enables remote access to the files and uses two-factor authentication to increase security and usability.
Identify the necessary regulations: Begin by understanding what kind of federal and local regulations you must follow. List them and pay attention to the documents that they require. How old can these documents be? It will help you to understand when you can finally delete your old files.
Select essential documents: You also need to create versions of other crucial documents for business operations.
Group the records: After you have selected all the records, group them into a logical order. The specific grouping is up to you, but do it so that most people accessing the system will not have to lose much time browsing before finding what they need. Organizing them by departments or projects is a good idea.
Organize information about the files: Finish the process by gathering information such as their retention period of the files, any special security measures related to them, and how to proceed when the retention period is finished.
Revise policies continually: Efficiency is at the heart of any successful business venture. By holding periodic reviews about how the policies are implemented, you can keep them compliant and working well. Remember that regulations can change quickly. Significant changes in your operations, such as venturing into new industries, states, or projects, may also trigger revisions.

Use Triofox To Manage Your Data

Triofox is a software that offers solutions for customers who need to protect their servers’ data. It adds ransomware protection and alerts to your file server. It will monitor the Triofox clients and automatically shuts them down if it sees a possible attack. It also sends an alert to the administrator when it detects the threat from the server-side and adds versioning and offsite backup of your file server, allowing you to recover from any attacks or accidental deletions. Triofox allows you to define your own retention policy based on your industry’s requirements and compliance.

Signup for a demo today to learn more and get access to one of the best versioning systems in the market right now.

Offsite Backup Solutions for Disaster Recovery

Version control and file retention represent the core of all solid data protection strategies. Make sure you’re supporting both with offsite backup solutions.

Storing backups remotely enhances their security and reliability, ensuring they’ll always be available. Unlike local backups, they can’t succumb to physical disasters in a business or security breaches that target the corporate network.

Triofox helps ensure business continuity by leveraging the cloud, file synchronization, and more.

Get started with a free trial now

Request a demo

How Offsite Backup Solutions Support Disaster Recovery

Offsite backup solutions store copies of your company’s most critical information in a physical location separate from that of your main business operations. This may be a different building, the offices of professional backup services, or in a digital location such as on a public cloud.

Storing backups off-site has many advantages in terms of disaster recovery. They’ll allow you to:

Stay Operational Even If the Office Is Not

If a disaster affects your physical business’s location, such as your office, offsite backups mean your data remains available even if your office is not. That leaves you free to transition to a remote workforce or acquire a new office space to quickly resume operations.

Never Lose Critical Business Information

Offsite backups are usually disconnected from other parts of your data ecosystem. That makes them harder to access, corrupt, or steal. With them, threats like ransomware attacks are neutralized, and you’ll never have to worry about losing copies.

Leverage Multiple Backup Methods

Since offsite backups are typically digital in nature, it’s easier to produce multiple copies of your backups. You can keep a digital copy on your local server, a secondary copy on the cloud, and a tertiary copy with a technology provider.

Get Up and Running Faster

Disruptions to your operations may damage your revenue stream unless you can return to normal operations quickly. Offsite backups make it easier to get up and running faster, thereby minimizing the potential fallout of an incident.

Embrace Business Continuity with Remote Backup Solutions in Triofox

Triofox supports disaster recovery and business continuity with robust backup and file server synchronization capabilities. Together, these features keep you up and running no matter what happens in the world. We accomplish that through four primary strategies:

Private cloud backups: If your file servers are ever offline, we’ll help you maintain worker productivity with a backup repository on a private cloud.
Public cloud backups: Make the most of your AWS or Azure accounts by harnessing them for offsite backups.
Branch office file server synchronization: Keep your files synchronized across your organization – from remote branch offices to headquarters.
Data center synchronization: Ensure everything on your Windows file server remains frequently backed up at a data center in your region.

Augment Your Business Continuity Strategy with Triofox

Developing an effective disaster recovery strategy is just one step in your wider business continuity plan. Make sure it includes offsite backup solutions. By storing your backups off-site, you gain extra security and reliability if a disaster affects your physical business location. With Triofox, harnessing offsite backups is easy. Enjoy the ability to resume operations anywhere, at any time.

Ready to get started with Triofox? Sign up for a free trial today.