Many online applications, including content management systems, insurance portals, healthcare portals and messaging apps, rely on the safe uploading and download of business files. Making uploads open to all is an ideal attack point for malicious actors who are able to easily inject malware and steal private information.
A reliable system for uploading files should verify that the uploaded files are compliant with the permitted file types, and scan them for viruses prior to storing. This helps ensure that the clients’ personal information isn’t compromised and it complies with compliance requirements such as HIPAA for health-related data as well as the GDPR for EU citizens.
It is important to be able and able to confirm the file types, as attackers are able “mask” malicious programs by changing the file’s name to acceptable extensions like.jpg or.gif. This means that your solution might not be able to detect the actual file type, and would let it pass through without being noticed. It is essential to use a file-uploading program which also checks the extension of the file to prevent this.
A secure encryption of all data both in the air and at rest http://firedataroom.com/why-choose-a-data-room-over-dropbox is another way to defend yourself against a variety of attacks. This transforms files and messages into codes that hackers cannot access even when they gain access to.
You can also set up an uploading system that will reject any files that don’t match your naming conventions. This will help organize your team and also prevents you from exposing confidential information in the names of files.