How to Choose Managed File Transfer Software for Compliance

To choose managed file transfer (MFT) software for compliance, you need to understand which requirements apply to the files you exchange. Then you can look at how each provider helps you meet them, from controlling who can access a folder to finding the records you’ll need for an audit.

If you’re responsible for exchanging sensitive files, you also need something your team can use without making everyday work harder. This guide walks through the frameworks that may apply to your business, the features worth looking for, and how the right MFT can help you manage those responsibilities.

What makes MFT software so suitable for compliance?

Managed file transfer software gives you a central place to manage secure file exchange, access, monitoring, and automation. Some services also include storage and a browser portal, so staff can work with files without installing a transfer client.

You can’t assume that every MFT product will meet your compliance needs. You’ll find differences in the controls available, the agreements a provider will sign, the scope of its audits, and how much infrastructure your team has to look after.

What you want is a service that makes it easy to give the right people access, handle files consistently, and see what happened when you need to investigate. SFTP To Go combines those capabilities with built-in storage, native file automations, SOC 2 Type II assurance, and HIPAA support, and a range of industry-focused compliance controls, without leaving you to maintain transfer or storage servers.

What are the compliance requirements for data transfer and storage?

The requirements you need to consider depend on your industry, the information you handle, and where you do business. The table below is a starting point for organizations. You may need to consider more than one row: a SaaS company serving hospitals, for example, may have both healthcare obligations and customer requests for a SOC 2 report.

These frameworks overlap, but they don’t all work the same way. SOC 2 provides independent assurance about a service organization’s controls; the other entries concern legal obligations with their own scope. GDPR doesn’t apply to every US business that handles personal data, and DORA applies to the EU financial sector rather than the UK as a whole.

Whatever your industry, you’ll usually be looking for encrypted transfers and storage, appropriate access restrictions, useful activity records, and clear file-handling procedures. You’ll also need to account for any state privacy laws, customer contracts, or sector rules that apply beyond those listed here.

If you’d like more detail for your industry, our guides cover HIPAA-compliant file sharing and secure file transfer for financial services.

Which MFT features should you prioritize?

You don’t necessarily need a different transfer service for every framework. Many of the same controls can support several sets of requirements. Here’s where they overlap and what SFTP To Go offers, so you can see which capabilities to discuss with a provider.

In this table, EU/UK GDPR means both EU GDPR and UK GDPR. The framework names show where a control can help; they don’t mean every feature is mandatory. FERPA’s disclosure-record requirements have exceptions, and general activity logs aren’t a substitute for those records. Automation can help you follow a consistent process, but it isn’t a universal legal requirement.

Before choosing a plan, check which features it includes, how long logs are retained, and which agreements the provider can offer.

What should you ask an MFT provider before choosing?

Can you protect files during transfer and storage?

You’ll want to check how files are protected both while they’re moving and while they’re stored. SFTP To Go uses SFTP, FTPS, and HTTPS for encrypted connections, with AES-256 encryption for S3-backed storage. If a recipient needs a PGP-encrypted file, native file automations can prepare it for them. These actions support files up to 100 MB and leave the original in place, so you’ll need to decide whether to keep or remove that copy.

Can you restrict access without complicating file exchange?

Think about what an outside recipient actually needs to do. A billing provider might need to upload files to one folder and collect approved exports from another, without seeing your internal archives. SFTP To Go’s virtual folders let you give each credential access to those locations with separate permissions. The same setup works over SFTP, FTPS, and the web portal.

Can staff share files within organization-wide rules?

Your staff need a convenient way to share files, and you need control over how they do it. With SFTP To Go, administrators can enforce web portal MFA and set organization-wide password and sharing policies, while administrative SSO supports dashboard access. You can protect share links with passwords, set expiry times and access limits, and revoke them when they’re no longer needed. If you need to know which individual accessed a file, use named credentials rather than relying on a shared link.

Can you retrieve the evidence an auditor asks for?

When you need to investigate a file exchange, you shouldn’t have to piece the story together from emails. SFTP To Go’s audit logs record file, access, and administrative activity, and you can export them as CSV, automate exports through the API, or use the stream to SIEM feature on supported plans. During your evaluation, try finding a file’s activity and a related permissions change. You’ll also want to check log retention and arrange longer storage in your own systems if you need it.

Can you automate handling and investigate failures?

If your team copies every incoming report to an archive and then tells someone it’s ready, that’s a useful task to automate. SFTP To Go’s native file automations let you put those actions in one sequence and check the execution history if something goes wrong. You can start workflows from file events or a schedule, and use APIs and webhooks to connect to the applications that handle validation and approvals. Our regulated file-transfer automation guide explains these workflows in more detail.

What evidence and agreements will the provider supply?

It’s worth asking to see the evidence behind a provider’s compliance claims. With a SOC 2 Type II report, you’ll want to check what was assessed, the period covered, and which responsibilities remain with you. SFTP To Go’s assessment covers Security, Availability, and Confidentiality, and its report is available under NDA. If you’ll be handling ePHI, you’ll need HIPAA support and a signed business associate agreement before you begin. You should also discuss hosting location, incident cooperation, recovery, and support. If DORA applies to your organization, include the required contract terms and exit arrangements in that conversation.

Which compliance responsibilities does the provider handle?

With a fully managed service, you’re paying the provider to operate and secure the transfer platform and its underlying infrastructure. SFTP To Go handles service maintenance, security updates, and infrastructure monitoring, alongside the safeguards built into the platform.

You still decide who should receive files, what they’re allowed to do, and how long you need to keep the information. Your team also manages credentials and keys, reviews activity, puts the necessary agreements in place, and checks how connected applications handle the data.

An MFT service can make that work much easier, but it won’t make your organization compliant on its own. You need to configure and use its controls according to compliance requirements, as part of the way your business handles information.

Why choose SFTP To Go for compliance-focused file exchange?

SFTP To Go is a practical, fortified option if you want to manage secure file exchange, storage, recipient access, and routine file automation in one service. Your staff can use the browser portal while applications connect through secure protocols. Your team can then spend its time managing file exchanges rather than maintaining the servers behind them.

Before you commit, try a file exchange that reflects your day-to-day work. Give a recipient restricted access, transfer a sample file, run an automation, and find the activity record afterward. That will help you see how the service works for your team, alongside checking its agreements and recovery arrangements.

You can explore SFTP To Go’s compliance controls and talk to our team about the agreements and setup your organization needs.

Frequently asked questions