Keystone It frequently assists businesses that have multiple computer users, but each has a stand-alone computer – computers are not networked or linked to other computers in the office.
The consequence is workers lack a simple way to share documents. As you might expect, some have found ingenious ways to share information: sending emails with attachments; scanning and sending documents to each other; using USB (flash) drives; and other “work arounds.”
Work arounds have a major shortcoming: Who has the most current version?
There are other serious issues as well, including files with sensitive data, such as found in the Financial Department or in Human Resources, are not adequately protected from viewing by employees who do not have a reason to know.
Confidentiality is assured by having separate computers for specific kinds of data. This architecture makes those responsible for data security most comfortable, therefore it is often used.
The answer for general data security is quite simple: Use a file server with password protection for each user. This can be done in a couple of ways, depending on your hardware and software configurations. Keystone IT is an expert at setting up secure filing systems that are easy to use, yet give you the security you need for your files.
For offices with a number of users who are in and out of the office, a great solution is to set up a server with Thin Clients. Thin Clients are computers that do not have hard drives. The users log onto the server from any Thin Client using their password. Then they can use remote desktop software to access and work on files that an administrator has approved for their access. The users store their data on the server. Only employees with the right to access those files may view and work on them. Thin Client configurations maximize the use of each computer by allowing secure access to files by multiple people.
Another advantage of using a file server is that you only have to back up one server – not each computer!
If you have not gone to a server/user model, look into it. The initial set up has some extra costs, but they are not that costly when you consider improved security, confidentiality, backups and productivity.