Sharing documents securely with clients.

Why e-mail and download links fall short

E-mail is made for messages, not for files. Attachments are copied into every mailbox, stay there and cannot be revoked. A download link is better for large files, but anyone who has the link can open the documents.

Six principles for sharing securely

• Sign-in instead of a link. Let recipients sign in, for example with a code by e-mail, so a forwarded link alone gets nobody anywhere.
• Permissions per document. Give every party access only to what it needs, and keep internal documents internal.
• View instead of download. Let sensitive documents be viewed in a viewer only, with a watermark per viewer.
• Access that expires. Set an end date and revoke access when the work is done.
• Record everything. An audit trail shows who viewed or downloaded what.
• Know where the data is. Choose a provider that stores encrypted data in the EU and states which parties can reach it.

A checklist for your firm

Question	Why
Can a recipient reach the documents without signing in?	A forwarded link must not grant access.
Can you revoke access after sharing?	With e-mail you cannot.
Can you see who opened what?	Needed to show due care.
Is the data stored encrypted in the EU?	Limits the risk of a breach and keeps you within the GDPR.
Do you have a data processing agreement with the provider?	Required when a service provider processes personal data for you.

How The Dutch Dataroom solves this

Guests sign in with an e-mail code, permissions apply per group, folder and document, the viewer watermarks per viewer and every action is in an audit trail. Documents are stored encrypted in the EU. Read more about security or start with the free version.