Securely Sharing Files at Penn

We all have files that we need to share electronically with colleagues both here at Penn and elsewhere. Sending the files via email as attachments isn’t always good practice, possible or practical. Email is not considered a secure method to communicate sensitive data. Many email services have limits on file size and the receipt of the files typically cannot be confirmed. Fortunately, there are two tools available at Penn that are better suited to securely share and collaborate on files.

Secure Share is a web application designed for secure file exchange. After logging in to the application with their PennKey, faculty, staff and students can send encrypted secure messages and files to other Penn affiliates. Recipients are notified via email and need to authenticate via PennKey to access the information that was sent. Secure Share is best for one-time file sharing such as providing someone with personal or sensitive information.

Another tool to securely share files is Penn+Box. University faculty, staff and students can use this cloud-based storage and collaboration service to securely store and share folders or individual files with both Penn and non-Penn colleagues. Penn+Box can be used on multiple operating systems and device types and provides end-to-end data encryption to protect shared data. Penn+Box is recommended for people looking to continually collaborate on files with others.

For more information on Secure Share, see:

https://www.isc.upenn.edu/secure-share

For more information on Penn+Box, see:

https://www.isc.upenn.edu/pennbox

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: www.upenn.edu/computing/security/