• Setting and enforcing file controls and permissions: Some files are just too sensitive to sit in the intended recipient's inbox for weeks. Who knows who has access to that inbox? Password-protected files are a step in the right direction, but they're not a silver bullet. It's important to be able to implement and enforce file security controls that extend beyond your network. For example, you can create a rule that will make sure a sensitive file will automatically delete itself if it has not been opened three days after it was sent.

• Moving large files: Files are getting bigger and as a result, our bandwidth needs are increasing, but moving big files isn't as easy as you might think. Sure there are free -- but do you really want to trust them with your corporate data? For security and operations, it's important to have in-house solutions for moving big, sensitive files efficiently by automating recurring transfers and timing large transfers to take place during off-peak network hours. Don't forget that some of the biggest files moving on your network are likely moving between integrated enterprise .

You're probably telling yourself, "My homegrown works just fine" or "We use , so my business is secure." Think again.

First, homegrown FTP solutions are littered with inefficiencies, risks and limitations, and they can cost up to 10 times more than other technology solutions on the market. Scripts and disparate homegrown FTP solutions eventually become impossible to manage and, having numerous point applications and tools from several vendors poking holes in your firewall, isn't an ideal scenario for file transfer security.