When businesses are considering potential cybersecurity risks, one of the places they focus a significant amount of attention is on document sharing and storage. The reason there’s focus on this particular area is because document sharing leaves businesses open to a tremendous amount of risk in many ways.

It’s imperative for businesses of all sizes and scopes to identify storage and sharing tools that offer the utmost in security, and they often find themselves comparing two of the primary options, which are virtual data rooms and file sharing platforms. How do you know which is right for your business?

The following comparisons can help businesses identify the distinctions that set these two choices apart from one another.

Security

Perhaps the most important distinction to make when comparing these two options is the level of security they provide. For businesses looking for the utmost in security when it comes to how they share and store documents, a file sharing platform like DropBox or Google Drive probably won’t work. Virtual data rooms are known for having some the highest possible levels of security, whereas a file sharing platform may be better for personal use and the storage of documents that don’t need to be heavily secured.

Functionality and Features

When looking at a file sharing platform, there are some features that users could find appealing, but when looking at the options that are best for business, virtual data rooms tend to have more advanced features. Possible features include the option to search through documents using text, drag and drop upload, auto-organization, and the ability to apply dynamic watermarks. Virtual data rooms are designed specifically for business usage, which is why they have so many features and customization options. Additionally, the functionality of virtual data rooms allows for consolidation and streamlined business operations, which can simplify how things are done in many ways.

Cost

A lot of file sharing platforms are very low-cost and often even free. This is perhaps one of their biggest appeals to businesses, but what’s important to realize is that virtual data rooms may be more of a monetary investment, but they can save tremendous amounts of time and money by preventing potential cyber attacks, and also by improving employee and business productivity.

Service

Dropbox aims to deliver simplicity to users. With that in mind, there isn’t customer service that comes along with the use of this type of platform for document sharing. On the other hand, since virtual data rooms are designed to improve a range of business processes including M&A transactions and other complex situations, providers often deliver a high level of customer service to go along with their products. Dedicated customer service teams back virtual data rooms to make sure implementation and usage go smoothly.

Finding the Right Product

For businesses, in almost all circumstances a virtual data room is going to be a better document option when compared to a cloud-based storage option, although it does depend on the individual organization. Programs designed for cloud-based file sharing can be beneficial in their own way, but for business purposes, the task is typically best left to a virtual data room. 4 Ways Virtual Data Rooms Compare To File Sharing Platforms

When businesses are considering potential cybersecurity risks, one of the places they focus a significant amount of attention is on document sharing and storage. The reason there’s focus on this particular area is because document sharing leaves businesses open to a tremendous amount of risk in many ways.

It’s imperative for businesses of all sizes and scopes to identify storage and sharing tools that offer the utmost in security, and they often find themselves comparing two of the primary options, which are virtual data rooms and file sharing platforms. How do you know which is right for your business?

The following comparisons can help businesses identify the distinctions that set these two choices apart from one another.

Security

Perhaps the most important distinction to make when comparing these two options is the level of security they provide. For businesses looking for the utmost in security when it comes to how they share and store documents, a file sharing platform like DropBox or Google Drive probably won’t work. Virtual data rooms are known for having some the highest possible levels of security, whereas a file sharing platform may be better for personal use and the storage of documents that don’t need to be heavily secured.

Functionality and Features

When looking at a file sharing platform, there are some features that users could find appealing, but when looking at the options that are best for business, virtual data rooms tend to have more advanced features. Possible features include the option to search through documents using text, drag and drop upload, auto-organization, and the ability to apply dynamic watermarks. Virtual data rooms are designed specifically for business usage, which is why they have so many features and customization options. Additionally, the functionality of virtual data rooms allows for consolidation and streamlined business operations, which can simplify how things are done in many ways.

Cost

A lot of file sharing platforms are very low-cost and often even free. This is perhaps one of their biggest appeals to businesses, but what’s important to realize is that virtual data rooms may be more of a monetary investment, but they can save tremendous amounts of time and money by preventing potential cyber attacks, and also by improving employee and business productivity.

Service

Dropbox aims to deliver simplicity to users. With that in mind, there isn’t customer service that comes along with the use of this type of platform for document sharing. On the other hand, since virtual data rooms are designed to improve a range of business processes including M&A transactions and other complex situations, providers often deliver a high level of customer service to go along with their products. Dedicated customer service teams back virtual data rooms to make sure implementation and usage go smoothly.

Finding the Right Product

For businesses, in almost all circumstances a virtual data room is going to be a better document option when compared to a cloud-based storage option, although it does depend on the individual organization. Programs designed for cloud-based file sharing can be beneficial in their own way, but for business purposes, the task is typically best left to a virtual data room.