Commercial Investment Real Estate May/June 2016 | Page 22

tECHnoloGy
solutions
Risky Business
by Mika Javanainen
information Management Enforcement
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File sharing impact
Collaborating on content with customers, partners, and
outside consultants and agencies is a routine part of
the commercial real estate business. However, doing so
without guidance or limitation can jeopardize sensitive
information and put a company’s reputation at risk.
this interactive business depends on the successful
collaboration between investors, asset and property
managers, building engineers, and tenants, as well as a
trusted network of developers, mortgage lenders, and
appraisers. While fle-sharing technologies streamline
the fow of information and boost organizational
productivity, the risk is the loss of confdential
information and intellectual property.
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the frst step to safeguarding company content is to clearly defne guidelines for the use of company-issued and employee-owned
devices and applications, connecting with its systems and networks. A formalized information management initiative sets precedent
for how employees can use their personal systems at work in a safe, appropriate manner, as well as raising awareness of the potential
risks. When employees know the threats and consequences to the company, they are more likely to change their behaviors.
Another critical component to successful information management is the ability to identify and track a company’s most sensitive
content, enabling organizations to enforce the policies they set. Working in tandem, management and it can identify where their
most valuable and confdential information resides and invest in protective technology to control access to it. together, well-promoted
policies and an enterprise information management system can protect a company and its data from the external threats posed by
employees’ unsanctioned use of consumer fle sharing systems at work.
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May | June | 2016
Commercial Investment Real Estate
Employees rely on anytime-anywhere data access. As a result,
using consumer fle sharing applications at work is extremely
prevalent. these apps deliver convenience, making them an
easy choice for document access, information sharing, and
collaboration. However, drawbacks exist. What is the potential
cost to businesses if employees use them in an unauthorized,
unregulated manner?
According to recent analysis by Gartner, an information
technology research company, employees gravitate toward
consumer online fle sharing tools for two reasons:
• frst, they are easy and intuitive to use, and
• second, these tools enable employees be more productive across
networks, devices, and operating systems.
A recent M-Files survey revealed that nearly half of surveyed
professionals have stored confdential company information on their
personal fle sharing and sync solutions. Additionally, 70 percent of
respondents say their organizations either lack corporate policies for
using fle sharing apps or haven’t shared their policies. the survey
shows the alarming unintended consequences of lax corporate security
policies. About 25 percent of respondents reported their company has
experienced information security breaches, data loss, noncompliance
violations, or other problems stemming from employees’ use of personal
fle sharing and sync solutions at work.
similar independent studies mirror this survey’s results, confrming
employees’ overwhelming use of external fle sharing systems. these
practices occur whether or not company policies prohibit them. such
rogue practices should cause corporate concern. Employee reliance on
personal fle sharing apps can result in serious data security breaches and
compromised compliance processes.