Securing data in motion

James Taylor, Channel Account Manager at Fortra, discusses the challenges of managing file transfers across IT, OT, cloud and third-party environments, and how Managed File Transfer solutions help organisations strengthen data security, improve visibility, meet compliance requirements and build operational resilience.

 As organizations strengthen their critical infrastructure, why does data movement between IT, OT, and external environments still present a challenge?

IT and OT environments may be well controlled individually, but complexity increases when critical files need to move between them or to cloud platforms, suppliers, contractors, and other external parties. Different systems, protocols, and processes can make those exchanges difficult to manage consistently and create gaps in visibility.

Managed File Transfer provides a centralized approach to these connections. With solutions such as GoAnywhere and Globalscape, organizations can automate transfers, standardize processes, and monitor file movement from one place, resulting in fewer manual tasks, greater visibility, and more reliable data exchange.

Where does file transfer typically break down as IT, OT, cloud, and third-party environments become increasingly interconnected?

Organizations often accumulate multiple ways of moving files: scripts, SFTP servers, email, shared folders, APIs, and different applications. While each may solve an individual requirement, over time this creates fragmentation and makes it harder for IT teams to understand which transfers are running, which have failed, and which processes require attention.

Centralizing these workflows through MFT reduces that complexity. GoAnywhere and Globalscape help automate recurring transfers and provide centralized monitoring, making it easier to identify failures, reduce troubleshooting time, and ensure that business-critical files reach the right destination on time.

What risks can unmanaged file transfers introduce into otherwise well-controlled environments?

Unmanaged transfers can create significant blind spots. Manual scripts, legacy FTP, email attachments, and disconnected file-sharing processes can make it difficult to know who sent a file, whether it arrived successfully, what happened when a transfer failed, or whether the appropriate controls were applied.

Bringing these processes into an MFT platform provides centralized visibility and governance. Automation reduces repetitive manual work and human error, while monitoring and detailed audit trails make it easier to identify problems, investigate them quickly, and maintain control over critical data exchanges.

Financial institutions depend on the continuous movement of highly sensitive data. How has Fortra built trust with banking customers?

Banks depend on the reliable movement of payment and settlement files, transaction data, customer information, and regulatory reports across internal systems, financial institutions, fintechs, and other third parties. When these transfers fail, are delayed, or cannot be properly traced, they can disrupt critical processes and create additional operational and compliance work.

GoAnywhere and Globalscape help financial institutions automate these exchanges while providing centralized tracking, encryption, role-based access controls, and detailed audit trails. The practical benefits are fewer manual processes, greater reliability and visibility, easier auditing, and greater confidence that critical financial data is delivered correctly and on time.

With compliance requirements becoming increasingly complex, how can Managed File Transfer help organizations maintain control over sensitive data?

One of the biggest challenges is demonstrating what happens to sensitive information as it moves: who accessed it, where it was sent, when the transfer occurred, and what controls were applied. When this information is spread across scripts, FTP servers, email, and multiple applications, gathering that evidence can become a significant manual exercise.

MFT centralizes that information. Detailed logs, reporting, encryption, access controls, and policy-driven automation provide a consistent record of file transfer activity. This makes audits easier to support, reduces the effort required to demonstrate compliance, and gives organizations greater control over how sensitive data is exchanged.

How does secure, governed Managed File Transfer contribute to greater operational resilience?

File transfers often sit behind critical business processes, connecting applications, cloud environments, partners, suppliers, and customers. A failed or delayed transfer can interrupt a workflow, require manual intervention, delay a transaction, or prevent important information from reaching the people and systems that depend on it.

MFT strengthens operational resilience by automating repetitive processes, centralizing monitoring, and providing consistent control over file movement. For GoAnywhere and Globalscape customers, this means fewer manual tasks, faster identification of failed transfers, improved reliability, easier troubleshooting, and greater confidence that critical data will arrive where it needs to be, when it needs to be.