Data delivery services nowadays has never been more important, nor has it ever received so much national attention. Take, for example, the recent breaches of data and website profiles of organizations like Malaysia Airlines, U.S. CENTCOM, and Sony Pictures — just to name a few. In 2011, approximately 535 cases of data breaches were reported in the U.S., resulting in more than 30 million stolen consumer records. No matter how large and powerful an organization is, it seems at times that nothing is invincible against hacking and malware.

That is not to say, however, that businesses should not bother to take basic precautions against cybercrime. Quite the opposite: the better security you have, the less likely would-be hackers can access your digital content. To help familiarize yourself with data delivery methods and cyber security, here are three kinds of data delivery services for commercial use:

1. FTP: File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is the standard method of transferring data between computers. Data is transferred between client computers, also known as “hosts,” via a main server. The clients and the server have separate security and data protocols, which aids in protection.
2. SFTP: Secure File Transfer Protocol, or SFTP, is another method of data delivery. SFTP uses a distinct data stream to send and receive information. The “S” can also refer to SSH, which is the name of the particular data stream used.
3. PGP: Pretty Good Privacy, or PGP, is a type of encryption especially designed for email communication. An encryption is a kind of code that masks readable data into illegible text known as “ciphertext” by using an algorithm in order to ward off hackers. Ciphertext can be translated back using a “key,” which uses the algorithm to restore the original data. PGP is popular for email and other forms of digital communication.

What do you think about file transfer services? Are there any easy file transfer services or data loss prevention solutions that you know of? Feel free to leave a comment or question at the bottom. Learn more.