The adoption of Zero Trust Data Access, particularly through FileFlex Enterprise, revolutionizes organizational operations by strengthening security measures and streamlining costs by reducing the use of VPNs, file sharing, collaboration platforms, and virtual data rooms. Through its unified ecosystem, ZTDA represents a paradigm shift in security strategies, offering superior protection while reducing expenditures.

How Zero Trust Data Access Cuts Costs in Organizational Operations

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Using Zero Trust Data Access to Streamline Cost

In addition to the stringent security measures such as granular access control, continuous authentication, encryption, micro-segmentation, and activity monitoring, adopting Zero Trust Data Access as implemented by FileFlex Enterprise not only can significantly enhance the security posture of an organization, but the practical uses of the technology can also significantly reduce cost as follows:

ZTDA as a VPN Alternative

ZTDA can be used as a VPN alternative that revolutionizes remote access within Windows by seamlessly connecting users to on-premises devices, cloud-hosted platforms, FTP, SharePoint, medical and CAD images over the Internet without relying on a VPN, delivering cutting-edge security, simplified access management, IT-controlled chain of command, file sharing/collaboration functionality, and with Windows integration, enhanced user experience. See 19 Advantages of the Zero Trust Data Access VPN Alternative.

According to the web search results, the cost of a VPN itself for large enterprises depends on several factors, such as the number of users, the number of locations, the bandwidth requirements, the level of security, and the features and support offered by the VPN provider.

More significant however than the cost of the VPN itself are the costs of maintenance, management, and human resources required. Managing and maintaining a VPN involves deploying and configuring servers, user authentication, monitoring, troubleshooting, and ensuring security compliance. The human resources required depend on factors like organization size and complexity, ranging from a part-time administrator for smaller setups to dedicated teams for larger enterprises. The true cost of a VPN  encompasses infrastructure, human resources, security measures, software licenses, operational expenses, and potential outsourcing fees. Additionally, ongoing training and periodic upgrades contribute to the overall investment in VPN management.  These costs are greatly reduced when Zero Trust Data Access as implemented by FileFlex Enterprise is used as a more secure alternative.

ZTDA for Secure Enterprise Grade File Sharing, and Content Collaboration Replacement

ZTDA can be used as an enterprise file-sharing and collaboration alternative.  It enables secure file sharing across multiple storage platforms, grants precise permissions control, supports sharing of large files, enforces in-app user authentication, tracks sharing activities with email notifications, applies watermarks and redactions, and allows seamless sharing directly from Windows to deliver zero trust data protection, efficient sharing of federated storage, simplified user experience, enhanced data privacy and compliance, exemplary data governance and an IT-controlled chain of command with no duplication or syncing. See Zero Trust Data Access for Secure File-Sharing.

ZTDA can also be used for zero-trust content collaboration that facilitates remote editing and file replacement directly from original storage locations, supporting various applications like Office 365, Google Docs, AutoCAD, and Adobe Creative Suite, offering an intuitive workflow, version control, file locking, activity tracking, and no size restrictions for editing files that safeguards data through micro-segmentation and controlled access to elevate security, streamline workflows, reduce the risk of ransomware and more, providing a cost-effective, adaptable, and user-friendly solution. See  Content Collaboration Using Zero Trust Data Access.

According to the web search results, the cost of enterprise-grade file-sharing and collaboration services varies depending on the features, storage space, and security options offered by different providers.

In addition to the software license, managing and maintaining an Enterprise File Sync and Share (EFSS) platform involves ongoing operational expenses to cover human resources like administrators, security specialists, and support staff.  Training, compliance efforts, and potential customization also contribute to the overall investment. Costs may vary based on organization size, complexity, integration needs, and chosen features of the EFSS platform. Regular updates, vendor support contracts, and periodic upgrades also impact the total cost of EFSS platform management.  These costs are significantly reduced when the FileFlex Enterprise Zero Trust platform is used as an alternative.

Zero Trust FTP and MFT Alternative

ZTDA can be used as an alternative to FTP and MFT file transfer platforms. Traditional file transfer presents an enterprise organization with increased risks associated with their information and system assets requiring efforts and costs in managing legacy protocols that have no business in an advanced and mature digital organization.  A more modern FTP alternative is needed that addresses these issues.  Zero Trust Data Access (ZTDA) as implemented by FileFlex Enterprise, emerges as a modern FTP and MFT alternative, offering cutting-edge security, ransomware prevention, regulatory compliance, simplified management, enhanced user experiences, and more. Transitioning to ZTDA provides organizations with a comprehensive solution to address the challenges and complexities associated with FTP for unstructured data while delivering superior security and efficiency. See Zero Trust Data Access as an FTP Alternative, and  Zero Trust Data Access as a Managed File Transfer Alternative.

Managing and maintaining File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Managed File Transfer (MFT) platforms involves several costs and considerations beyond the software license. Initial expenses encompass infrastructure and ongoing maintenance fees, however, human resources also play a critical role, including salaries for administrators, security specialists, and support staff, along with training costs. Security measures, integration efforts, compliance audits, and backup procedures also contribute to overall costs. Finally, organizations incur expenses for troubleshooting, upgrades, and potential outsourcing of specific management aspects. The total cost varies based on factors such as organization size, security requirements, and chosen solutions for FTP and MFT platforms.  These costs are substantially reduced when FileFlex is used as an alternative.

Zero Trust Virtual Data Rooms

ZTDA can be used as an alternative to Virtual Data Room platforms.  Zero Trust Data Access as implemented by FileFlex provides the ability to create an unlimited number of Virtual Data Rooms located anywhere on on-premises, cloud-hosted, IaaS, or SharePoint storage, with unlimited participants, diverse permission levels, comprehensive activity tracking, and no restrictions on file sizes or storage capacity that offer superior data security, robust protection against ransomware, superior governance and chain-of-command and comprehensive insider threat prevention, while also ensuring compliance, reducing the attack surface, and providing a cost-effective, future-proof approach.  Read Top 13 Reasons to Adopt Zero Trust Secure Virtual Data Rooms.

Managing and maintaining a Virtual Data Room (VDR) platform also involves various soft costs and considerations. These include setup and deployment costs, and user training. Ongoing soft costs encompass security measures, support and maintenance fees, data storage charges, and potential integration expenses. Human resources, such as VDR administrators, security specialists, user support staff, and compliance specialists, are crucial for effective management. Additionally, documentation specialists and performance optimization experts play roles in maintaining comprehensive documentation and ensuring efficient operation. The total cost depends on factors like organization size, data volume, customization needs, and the chosen VDR provider’s pricing structure. Regular training and updates are also needed for the team to stay informed about security practices and new features. The total cost of ownership is sharply reduced when Zero Trust Data Access per FileFlex Enterprise is used instead.

Other Potential Cost Savings

SharePoint

Since ZTDA allows users to share and collaborate SharePoint content with non-SharePoint users within Windows, without file size limitations, providing access to multiple accounts, enabling team collaboration with external parties without SharePoint licenses, facilitating Virtual Data Room creation within SharePoint while integrating SharePoint to the rest of the corporate storage infrastructure,

users that only consume SharePoint content can now do so without a SharePoint license.  (See 19 Reasons Why Zero Trust Data Access is an Essential SharePoint Add-in.)

Cloud Storage

Because ZTDA provides cloud functionality (sharing, remote access, streaming, collaboration, virtual data rooms) to on-premises storage, organizations can replace expensive cloud storage with less expensive on-premises storage.

Bandwidth

Likewise, since these storage locations can be accessed over the network, Internet bandwidth use can also be reduced.

Conclusion: Unleashing the Strategic Savings and Cost-Efficiency of Zero Trust Data Access in Organizational Security and Collaboration

In conclusion, the adoption of Zero Trust Data Access, as implemented by FileFlex Enterprise, proves to be a strategic financial choice to lower organizational operational costs. It can replace platforms used for file sharing, VPN access, content collaboration, file transfer and virtual data rooms and generally incurs a lower subscription cost than any platform in any one of these categories. However, the real savings are incurred based on the lower support, maintenance and human resources required.

Potential savings will be different for every organization depending on the platforms already being used, the functionalities of those platforms, and the number of platforms.  Not all employees uniformly use the same file sharing, MFT, FTP, collaboration, Virtual Data Room and VPN services.  Savings will depend on what can be eliminated for which employees.

By serving as a cost-effective alternative to VPNs, file-sharing services, collaboration platforms, and virtual data rooms, coupled with potential savings in SharePoint, cloud storage, and bandwidth, organizations that implement a Zero Trust Data Access platform like FileFlex Enterprise can realize substantial cost reductions while strengthening their data access and collaboration strategies.