File Server Archives

Secure File Sharing in the Era of Remote Work

March 28, 2022

by Fognigma Encryption File Server

New world, new rules

Two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that remote work isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Companies scrambled in 2020 to pivot to fully remote working environments, and while some have shifted back to in-office or even hybrid environments, the need remains for secure and remotely accessible resources like file servers and videoconferencing solutions for employees scattered across the country, and sometimes around the world.

This abrupt shift to these decentralized collaboration environments opened created a world of opportunity for hackers. In the past, centralized headquarter environments granted a high degree of control to allow cybersecurity and IT professionals to manage company security more effectively.

But today’s working world is riddled with new variables – unsecured home networks, IoT devices, the use of personal devices for work, and lack of individual understanding of best security practices and common threats, to name a few. And when 88% of data breaches are caused by human error (according to a study conducted by Stanford University), the risk is too high, especially for a resource like a file server, where large numbers of users are likely uploading and downloading files frequently.

File servers in particular are a gold mine for malicious actors as much as they are essential to remote work environments. But can you keep them safe?

Can yesterday’s solutions work in today’s remote world?

Encryption is the most obvious solution for protecting file servers, but it has its downsides:

Time and effort. Private key infrastructure (PKI) can be an effective way to protect connections between an individual and another individual, group, or server, but is tedious to set up and maintain. A user must generate their own public and private key pair, store the private key safely, and share the private key with the person or server they’re trying to reach (use that person or server’s public key). Worse, to use the same encryption key on another device, the user would need a secure way to transfer the private key to the new device to ensure it can’t be captured in transit. While this may be a standard practice for familiar users, those unfamiliar with cybersecurity basics may find this method inaccessible. And with remote employees spread far and wide in questionably secure locations (sometimes across the world), IT support can be a costly and time-consuming nightmare for everyone involved.
Key ownership. Popular file-sharing services like Dropbox claim to use encryption to protect their users’ data, but they hold the encryption keys, and the encryption is broken at their central server. So if their servers are compromised by unauthorized access or insider attacks, any user communications with those servers could be leaked to a third party. In other words, if they’re compromised, so are you.

The demands of the current remote work climate require a user-friendly solution that provides the best security features available and limits the potential for human error.

Erebus: The encrypted file server for a remote world

Erebus is a cloud-hosted secure file storage system that uses built-in patented encryption software (Conclave) to encrypt files and automate management user encryption keys.

Security features at a glance

Symmetric and asymmetric (end-to-end) hybrid encryption
Perfect forward secrecy (PFS) protocol
Two layers of AES-256 encryption with 4096-bit initial key exchange
FIPS 140-2 validation
Immunity from IPv4, IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC attacks
User-specific encryption at rest

Fully automatic encryption key management with Conclave

Erebus uses Conclave encryption technology to automate the management of encryption keys for users and the Erebus server, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual key configuration, and by extension, the possibility of a data breach caused by human error.

When Erebus access is activated for a user, the software generates a dedicated proxy instance that handles encryption keys between the Conclave server and Erebus server. Users receive the full protection Conclave has to offer, without needing to rely on tedious and complicated encryption configurations. Accessing and using Erebus is as simple as signing in and uploading or downloading files in just a few clicks – while Conclave handles the rest and keeps them protected.

Secure access and file management

Whether on a desktop or mobile device, Erebus users never access the file server directly. Instead, a dedicated third-party proxy instance is generated for each Erebus user. These instances act as intermediaries in the connection, ensuring potential snoopers are misdirected and the server is protected. Not even your own users need to know where the server is hosted, adding another layer of protection against human error and insider attacks.

These user access URLs can be generated, re-generated, or destroyed in just a few clicks. Uploaded files can also be configured so they’re destroyed automatically after a certain amount of time or downloads.

Simple and intuitive access control

Erebus servers can be configured in minutes, and administrators can easily control user access to files and the capabilities within Erebus using groups and permission assignments.

All data is individually encrypted for each user assigned access to specific files, so as user permissions are modified, the data itself is modified to suit that permission. This ensures that when user access is removed, users will no longer be able to decrypt the relevant data.

Fognigma Solves Biggest Challenge of Working Remotely

April 10, 2020

by Fognigma Cybersecurity Encryption File Server Fognigma Online Privacy Telephony Virtual Desktop Infrastructure VPN

One of the biggest challenges of working remotely is effective collaboration.

In an office environment, everything is in a single, secured location. We take for granted how easy it is to efficiently communicate and interact with other people, our data, documents, and other files we need each day.

Remote work introduces several variables that can make secure, effective collaboration a logistical nightmare. Outdated technology and software, unsecured home networks, and limited access to company information can create major security risks and make collaboration a hassle.

With Fognigma, the biggest challenge of working remotely is solved, organizations can collaborate seamlessly and securely from anywhere – just as effectively as from the office.

Using Fognigma’s cutting-edge, customizable VPNs, organizations can:

Communicate face-to-face in a secure video conferencing server: Fognigma’s video conferences are completely encrypted, live on servers entirely owned by your organization, are completely private, and invisible to everyone but the parties involved.

Safely store and share sensitive company information on a secure file server: With Fognigma, secure file sharing is made easy. Users can download, upload, and share sensitive company information. Furthermore, special links can be created if specific files needs to be shared with outsiders.

Send messages and files protected with end-to-end encryption to anyone in your organization: Fognigma’s technology simplifies and automates the encryption, allowing users to easily send secure messages and files to anyone in their organization.

Access company resources and the Internet from traceless, sandboxed VDIs: Using Fognigma’s VDIs, users can anonymously browse the Internet, access company resources and more while appearing to be anywhere in the world. Users Internet activity leaves no footprint of where they went, removing the risk of hackers tracking where they went or what organization they belong to.

Obscure and misattribute phone numbers to protect calls and texts: With Fognigma, users can text and call without revealing their true numbers or what is said during the conversation.

Fognigma makes safe, effective remote collaboration easy – for everyone, no matter where they are. With Fognigma, your organizations biggest challenge while working remotely is solved!

Don’t let remote work hinder your organizations business operations. Solve your organizations biggest challenge with Fognigma. Contact us to learn more.

Automated Cybersecurity Solutions

January 29, 2020

by Fognigma Cybersecurity Encryption File Server Fognigma Telephony VPN

With the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced software processes come new cybersecurity risks. Hackers have more tools than ever before, utilizing new technology to automate their attacks on a larger scale.

With these automated attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and relentless, it’s imperative to take prevention measures with an equally sophisticated automated cybersecurity solution.

With the large volume of attacks automation and machine learning bring, your defense must be scaled to match. Automated cybersecurity solutions create faster risk prevention and reduces the volume of risks that require human attention, freeing you and your users to focus on the goals and tasks at hand.

FIGHT AUTOMATION WITH AUTOMATION

Fognigma’s patented software provides secure, sophisticated, and automated cybersecurity solutions needed to address these threats.

Reverb: What private telephony communication was meant to be.

Fognigma’s Reverb provides a traceless telephony solution with encrypted telephone numbers, extensions, and call chains. This ensures your calls and communications are hidden from the world behind the invisibility of Fognigma networks.

Under the protection of Fognigma’s sophisticated obfuscation technology, your telephony communications stay between caller and recipient. Third parties can’t trace where calls originate, where they end, or what was said.

With Reverb, your private conversations stay private.

Encrypted Instant Messaging For All

Fognigma provides instant messaging chat servers within its invisible and secure networks, protected by cascading AES-256 encryption. This dynamic and user-friendly solution eliminates the risks of phishing scams, works on any device running any major operating system, and is globally accessible.

The best part? It’s fully automated, meaning your organization can immediately incorporate encrypted communication and basic file sharing into its day-to-day operations through a familiar, easy-to-use interface.

When it comes to the security of your everyday communications, encryption should be easy for everyone.

Secure Video Conferencing and Screensharing

Fognigma’s secure and encrypted video conference solution allows participants to chat and share screens. This is ideal for team-building exercises, mission briefings, and other instances where face-to-face conversation is preferred.

This also allows your users to communicate with untrusted outside sources without risk to either party. Fognigma allows your organization to video conference between trusted and untrusted parties without risking the security of anyone on either side.

This solution features end-to-end encryption, is globally accessible, and works on any device running any major operating system.

Share Files Without Risk

Encrypted file shares are one of the safest ways to store sensitive data such as company polices, intellectual property, company communication logs, marketing collateral, and many other important files.

Using Fognigma, you can create an encrypted file server within your private network, allowing your users to easily drag and drop files or share items with external parties using a customized link.

Users can also access the file share using protected virtual desktop instances for even greater security.

Automate VPN management and accomplish more

Using Fognigma’s sophisticated, fully customizable automation feature, you can automate production and access to all of the components mentioned above.

In minutes, you can automate a schedule that will build, manage, and destory a VPN with any of the custom components mentioned above, allowing your organization to focus entirely on productivity.

These are just a few of the powerful features available with Fognigma. Schedule a demo today to see how Fognigma can automate security for your organization.

Setting Up Your Own Secure File Server: A Primer

May 30, 2019

by Fognigma Encryption File Server Travel

Take Your Files with You

Just as the world never stops turning, our operations remain in constant motion. They take us on the road, in the air, and over the sea. We bundle up our technology and bring it with us so we can continue working, and no matter which types of tech we take along, one thing is always needed: our files. A secure file server can make all the difference.

Of course, you could take a thumb drive with your files wherever you go, but everyone knows how risky that is. Misplace the drive and your documents will most likely find a new life in dark places on the Internet where all sorts of bad things can result. Or, at the very least, multiple versions of the documents will be created, leading to version control confusion (i.e., you won’t know which version is the most recently updated and accurate).

The only answer is to have an online file repository where you can access your files, without creating and carrying around multiple copies. But which method is the best to create a secure file server?

Cloud Storage Thunderstorms

The fastest way to give your files the gift of remote access is to upload them to a cloud storage server operated by one company or another. We won’t name cloud storage companies because for many, they are viable options for file storage. However, we will mention some of the potential security risks these cloud storage companies, as a whole, represent.

Lack of Crypto-Key Control – In simplistic terms, when files are encrypted, keys are created to encrypt and decrypt the files. If you don’t have the key, you can’t see the file. The problem with some cloud storage providers is they maintain ownership of the encryption keys, which means if the service was hacked, the hackers would have control over the encryption keys to your files.
Lack of Any Security Control – When you sign up for a cloud storage provider, they have their own methods of cybersecurity in place. You don’t have a say in what encryption they use, for example, or any other security features. In short, you are trusting their cybersecurity team with all your data.
Data Sharing – Sometimes cloud storage providers have shared data (or, at least, metadata) with third parties. When security is a prime concern, the sharing of any data about your data or your organization is potentially very harmful.
Shared Server Storage – When you upload files to a cloud storage provider, your files are stored on a section of one of their massive servers. If the file server gets hacked via another customer’s account, once again, the hackers can gain access to your files since they reside on the same server.

Host Your Own Secure File Server

The easiest way to take total control over your file server needs is to set up your own. Though that might sound daunting, it is actually pretty simple. Plus, there are multiple manners of file sharing you can use. Here are a few:

NAS (Network Attached Storage) – NAS is one of the easiest ways to build a secure server, but it is reliant on you having the proper type of router. Some routers have USB ports for storage. Plug in a thumb drive, configure a few settings, and you’re the proud owner of a private server!
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) – FTP has been around for almost as long as the Internet. While it’s not exactly what you imagine when you think of a cloud server, FTP servers can be used to easily transfer large files. You can even add security measures to FTP. Use SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) and you’ll be using SSH to protect the transmission of your files. Or, use FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure) which give you TLS encryption for data transmission.
HFS (HTTP File Server) – HFS is another protocol which has been around for some time. It can be set up quickly which is great for inexperienced users yet has tons of customizable options for the more advanced users.

The most important part, after you’ve determined the type of private server you plan to run, is to explore security options. You’ll need to do it all yourself (as compared to a cloud storage provider) but, as previously stated, you’ll have full control over your security. You can make sure your security measures are always up to date, your software properly patched, and access to your files exactly as controlled as you desire.

To learn more how Fognigma, our leading-edge enterprise software solution, can take your protected, online-accessible file storage to the next level, contact us today.

Fognigma

Posts in category: File Server