Secure File Transfer Service

Overview

Beginning in June 2007, ITS will offer a Secure File Transfer Service which will allow UMass Lowell faculty and staff to securely transmit files to internal and external users via a simple to use web-based interface.  UMass Lowell “Dropbox” allows you to securely send files/folders up to 2 GB to recipients at any location and organization.  Senders receive a download receipt whenever a file is downloaded.  By moving file transfer to a dedicated server on the University of Massachusetts Lowell network, users do not have to use email, inherently insecure by design, to send large files over the internet.  Users will never need to worry about receiving bounce back messages due to large file attachment quotas.

Advantages

Web Interface	UMass Lowell faculty and staff will find the web-based interface is intuitive to use and require minimal training.
User Authentication with UML Active Directory Services	Faculty and Staff log in using their email address and password to securely authenticate users.  Unauthorized users can not use this service.
Automated Download Receipt	When a recipient downloads the file, a return receipt is generated to the sender.  The recipient is unaware of the return receipt and can not turn it off.
External Send Back	External users like partners or researchers can self register with the UMass Lowell Dropbox in order to send files back to UMass Lowell without any account setup by Information Technology.
End-To-End File Security	Files are uploaded, stored, and downloaded through secure links and recipients are authenticated ensuring only the intended recipients can access the file.
File/Folder Capability	Users can send folders and files up to 2GB instantaneously with one click.  For custom transfers, we can temporarily allow up to 5GB.
File Transfer Auditing and Tracking	Auditable records on when recipients download attachments that can be summarized by individual recipient, filename, time and date.
File Retention Flexibility	By default, files remain on the secure Dropbox server for 14 days and are automatically removed.  Users have the flexibility of decreasing or increasing the number of days (up to 30) for recipients to retrieve their files before they are purged.

Summary  

Among secure ad-hoc file transfer solutions, we are pleased to announce the availability of a Secure File Transfer Appliance to the University of Massachusetts Lowell community. The UMass Lowell Dropbox service solves the problems associated with conventional, unsecure file transfer processes that are currently handled through email or FTP-based solutions.

For more information, please contact Jim Packard, Director, Enterprise Systems Services at x2668.

To begin using the Dropbox service, please visit http://dropbox.uml.edu.