Permission is a bygone requisite for today’s tech-savvy employee, with services like Google Drive and Dropbox Inc. providing free file management solutions with remote access via the cloud. Circumventing the traditional top-down method of software approval in the workplace, the cloud’s expansive storage and collaboration tools have slipped out of the control of IT departments to create security concerns over the protection of company data.

But what if work files could be controlled like a Snapchat message, complete with self-destruction options and alerts when a recipient attempts to save or screen-capture a shared document?

Snapchat Inc.’s consumer appeal continues to grow: the webchat tool’s Monthly Active Users grew from 70 million in April 2014 to 100 million in November 2014. Four hundred million “snaps” are sent every day, and 12 percent of those are shared with more than one recipient. Facebook Inc. even reportedly offered to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in 2013. The application is even being used by companies like McDonald’s Corp., General Electric Co. and GrubHub, Inc. As more businesses turn to Snapchat for brand marketing, messaging or file sharing, security and access remain top of mind.

A majority of employees put company data at risk

From 2005 to November 2014, the Identity Theft Resource Center recorded a total of 4,912 data breaches. And in 2014 alone, 395 data breaches occurred in the U.S., as reported by media outlets or government agencies. This represents a 21 percent increase over 2013 data breaches.

“We all know that threats such as malware or physical theft can cause data leakage, but just as significant of a threat to the enterprise is unsafe file-sharing,” according to Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute, LLC, in his recent blog detailing the findings from the company’s 2014 research report, Breaking Bad: The Risk of Unsecure File Sharing.

The report reveals that “60 percent of employees have often or frequently either used personal file-sharing applications at work, sent unencrypted emails, failed to delete confidential documents, or accidentally forwarded files to unauthorized individuals.” See the infographic below, which was created by Intralinks, Inc., sponsor of the Ponemon study.

Cloud tech shuts down data violators instantly

This lack of security places intellectual property at the risk of falling into the wrong hands. So what can enterprises do to protect their data? Enter apps that follow the basic premise of the popular consumer app Snapchat, offering companies the ability to maintain complete control over the files they send by using the cloud.

Users of Snapchat, and other cloud-based technologies like it, can enforce complete control over data files sent by setting permissions for viewing content, including a time limit on how long the file can be viewed. Then, if that time limit expires or any parameters set up are violated, the data disappears instantly since it’s just streamed using the cloud and does not reside on a server or specific device.

“If the data’s not carrying security with it, it won’t be secure,” said Ryan Kalember, chief product officer at Watchdox, Inc., a leading secure enterprise file sync and sharing (EFSS) solution that enables users to share, work with and control their files on every device. “With Snapchat, I always set an expiration of 30 days for every file I send. Just because I share something with you doesn’t mean I should lose control of it.”

The popularity of these types of apps continue to skyrocket. Snapchat itself just passed the 100 million-user mark, and according to a SimilarWeb analysis, North America, Western Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia represent the strongest markets for the file-sharing app. SimilarWeb even predicts that Snapchat is “most likely not far off from becoming a leader or even the leader in the industry.”

Snapchat-like apps for the Enterprise

Snapchat-like resources allow an enterprise to take back control of its data, ensuring peace of mind across the organization that data is only being distributed to its intended audience, and staying there. Notably, many of these data collaboration services allow content usage to be tracked, terminated, and easily integrated in an enterprise setting.

Companies like Content Raven are helping businesses take back control of their data by securely distributing it internally and externally.

“With a simple Snapchat-like application that protects the data itself — and embeds within it the ability to self-destruct on command — enterprises can keep their critical information assets safe without incurring the costs and headaches associated with more cumbersome security tools,” according to Joe Moriarty, executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing at Content Raven, in an insights.wired.com article.

Another new Snapchat-like app called Glimpse even promotes itself as the “fastest (disappearing) photo messaging app for groups.” And apps like Wickr allow military-grade encryption for videos, messages, audio files and photos.

Additionally, Apptimate promises secure communication and positioning for the enterprise by making messages only readable to an authenticated receiver. And nothing is stored on the company’s service. ArmorText offers secure text messaging for the mobile enterprise with an end-to-end device-specific encryption that allows teams to share information securely.

The list of new apps popping up for the enterprise continues to grow. And it doesn’t look like this surge of secure collaboration products will slow down anytime soon.

Contributors: Kristen Nicole

feature image by yukop via photopin cc

Photo credit: Nathan O’Nions via photopin cc