Thoughts, news and tips

Cybersecurity has come a long way. But despite the advances, cyberattacks continue to make headlines. So, if technology is becoming harder to breach, where are hackers looking for their next opportunity? In the latest episode of The Transfer Files, Steph and James are joined by Glenn Wilkinson, ethical hacker, international speaker and CEO of Agger Labs, to explore how cybercriminals think, the techniques they use and what businesses can do to stay one step ahead.

The Fortra File Transfer Tech Summit is back for 2026! Taking place on 12th November, our annual online summit brings together file transfer professionals for insights into the latest developments across Globalscape EFT and GoAnywhere MFT, with product roadmaps, technical demos and a look at Fortra’s AI development plans for its MFT platforms.

AI is already making its way into Managed File Transfer, but what can be achieved today, and where can it add real value?In this episode of The Transfer Files, Steph and James continue the conversation around AI, following their discussion with Rob May, Founder & Executive Chairman of ramsac and Global AI Ambassador last month. This time, they’re honing in on integrating AI with Managed File Transfer. Joined by returning guest Richard Auger, they explore how artificial intelligence is being used across MFT technology, and where the biggest opportunities are emerging.

AI is quickly reshaping the way organisations operate, from streamlining everyday tasks to enabling entirely new ways of working. Yet despite the excitement surrounding AI and what the future holds, many businesses are still grappling with a fundamental question: how can they adopt AI in a way that delivers real value while managing the risks? In this episode of The Transfer Files we discuss how organisations can integrate AI safely, choose the right tools, manage risk and prepare for the future of AI.

Learn how to synchronise GoAnywhere MFT groups with Microsoft Entra ID, with step-by-step instructions for configuration and setup. Recently, we worked with one of our clients in the global language and localisation sector on a large-scale migration project. This particular request was just one small task of a much bigger initiative, involving multiple workflows and automations. Their requirement was to use Entra as the central point for managing their new client onboarding process.

If your organisation relies on moving files between systems, partners, customers or suppliers, chances are you've come across the terms FTP, FTPS and SFTP. While these file transfer protocols have been around for decades, there is still plenty of confusion about how they work, how they differ, and which is best suited for today's security and compliance requirements. In the latest episode of The Transfer Files Podcast, we break down the key differences between FTP, FTPS and SFTP, and explain why Managed File Transfer has become such an important part of secure data exchange. 

The Transfer Files Podcast is back for Season 2. In the first episode, James and Steph unpack what compliance looks like in practice, why so many organisations mistakenly assume they're compliant, and where managed file transfer fits into the wider security and governance picture. From healthcare and financial services to defence and other highly regulated sectors, they explore the unique compliance challenges organisations face, as well as the critical role that visibility, reporting, and Zero Trust principles play in protecting sensitive data.

As organisations scale and adopt new technologies, Shadow IT is becoming harder to control - introducing hidden risks across data, compliance, and operations. At the same time, Zero Trust is gaining traction as a smarter, more resilient approach to security. In this episode of The Transfer Files, James and Steph are joined by returning guest Dave Hendley, Head of Technical at Pro2col, to explore how these trends intersect and what it means for modern cybersecurity strategies.

Whether you’re responsible for file transfer strategy, security, or operations, episode 4 of The Transfer Files provides valuable insight into how mature your Managed File Transfer environment really is. In this episode, hosts James and Steph are joined by special guest Dave Hendley, Head of Technical at Pro2col, for an in-depth discussion on the Enterprise Maturity Model for MFT - a practical hands-on framework designed organisations can actually use to assess where they stand today, compare themselves against industry benchmarks, and identify clear, actionable steps for improvement.

Today cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern, it’s a boardroom priority. Zero Trust is the principle of “never trust, always verify" and is dominating conversations at the highest levels as CEOs, CISOs, and other C-Suite leaders face the harsh reality and growing concern of cyber threats. In this on-demand webinar, Head of Technical, Dave Hendley, explores how adopting a Zero Trust mindset can transform your MFT environment.

Threat Brain is a cloud-native, AI-powered security platform that provides organisations with real-time protection and visibility over data entering and leaving their networks. When integrated with GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer, Threat Brain adds an extra layer of security, giving you confidence that sensitive data is monitored and safeguarded at every stage of transfer.

In episode 3 of The Transfer Files, we dig into what “supply chain” really means in the world of file transfer. We look beyond the internal movement of data and shed light on how organisations exchange data with external systems, partners and suppliers. We discuss why supply chain security has come under increased scrutiny, citing recent high-profile cyber breaches that have shown just how devastating a single weak link can be.

Secure file transfer may be a niche technology, but its impact spans every industry. With so many tools, environments, and vendors to choose from, selecting the right data transfer solution can feel overwhelming, especially in a market that’s evolved dramatically in recent years. In episode 2 of The Transfer Files, we break down what’s happening in the marketplace and how IT teams can cut through the noise, key players, and the latest Gartner Quadrant insights.

Welcome to the first episode of The Transfer Files, the new tech podcast from Pro2col exploring the world of secure file transfer. Hosted by Pro2col’s CEO James Lewis, and Marketing Manager Steph Johnson, this very first episode dives into the fundamentals of Managed File Transfer (MFT) - what it is, why organisations need it, and how it enables businesses to move data securely and efficiently.

The idea for this article came about when our Principal Technical Consultant, Richard Auger, was asked by a major UK retailer whether it was possible to automate the sending of files using the GoAnywhere SecureMail process. This differs from the normal approach of automating the sending of emails because the SecureMail process is tied to a GoAnywhere user, and consequently is not normally associated with batch jobs.

WeTransfer, Dropbox and FileZilla have made a name for themselves globally. Why? They’re popular, easy to use and get the job done. But while convenient, they’re also one of the biggest standout examples of Shadow IT in the workplace - and that’s a serious problem for any organisation, of any size, that takes data security, compliance, and control seriously.

Fortra have just released version 7.8.2 of GoAnywhere MFT. To understand what this means for your existing GoAnywhere File Transfer solution, we turned to Richard Auger, Principal Technical Consultant, to take a closer look at the key enhancements, updates, and fixes included in this latest release.

CloudMFT combines the best of both worlds. It allows you to host your preferred MFT solution in the cloud, delivering all the advantages of a cloud-native architecture, including enterprise-grade security, flexibility, built-in disaster recovery, and predictable performance, without the trade-offs often associated with traditional SaaS or rigid hosted options. In this blog, we’ll break down the key benefits of CloudMFT and explain why it’s quickly becoming the MFT hosting solution of choice for modern enterprise organisations.

In modern workflows, automating email attachment retrieval is a common requirement, but traditional methods like IMAP and POP3 may not always be viable due to company or security policies. In this customer use case, Principal Technical Consultant, Richard Auger explores an alternative approach: leveraging REST API to download Office 365 email attachments and process them efficiently.

When working with file transfer protocols like FTP, FTPS, and SFTP, servers send and receive various return codes during sessions. Some codes indicate successful file transfers, while others signal errors and require further action. And when things go wrong, understanding the meaning behind the sever return codes can save you and your team time, money and frustration.  

Signiant's Media Shuttle is a well-known fast-file transfer tool. While the feature set it offers is rich, and the speed and size of files it can transport is impressive, it is hindered by an inflexible pricing model. FileCatalyst directly addresses the limitations of Media Shuttle’s pricing structure, offering predictable, cost-effective pricing and flexible deployment options that adapt to changing business needs.

Every new year brings a fresh opportunity to dust off the crystal ball and share our key predictions for file transfer. With valuable contributions from leading file transfer specialists, global vendors, and trusted partners, what can we expect from Managed File Transfer in 2025?

Shortly before Christmas, Fortra released version 7.7.0 of both GoAnywhere MFT and GoAnywhere Agents, unveiling new features and enhancements. To help our customers understand these updates and what it means for their file transfer solution, we tapped into the expertise of our Principal Technical Consultant, Richard Auger.

Data transfer technologies have long been the backbone of how businesses share information securely across networks. So, when it comes to the topic of Quantum Computing, a technological revolution is on the horizon, poised to redefine the way we process and secure data.

Migrating your MFT solution may seem daunting, but the reality is, the new file transfer solution may be easier, more user friendly, and offer you more features such as automation, easy web access, alerting, high availability, that’ll streamline your business processes. Discover everything you need to know about migrating your file transfer solution with our comprehensive guide.

We live in a fast-paced, data driven world where technology has an impact on every aspect of our lives. But the sheer volume of data being processed by businesses on a day to day basis is growing exponentially - a trend that is particularly noticeable in the creative industry.

File Transfer Dashboards provide a holistic overview of your MFT system from point of entry to point of exit for files passing through. This allows an administrator to identify bottlenecks and plan accordingly, perhaps simply reorganising schedules, or adding servers to an application pool to extend resources at key times. 

On Thursday, 3rd October 2024, from 10am to 4pm, Pro2col and Fortra invite GoAnywhere MFT and Globalscape EFT users to an exhilarating day filled with track driving experiences, Formula 1 simulators, and cutting-edge insights into the future of file transfer. Don't miss this action-packed event!

File Transfers underpin the day-to-day running of many businesses, and if they fail or are not running as planned, the impact can be significant. While many MFT tools provide the ability to set up alerts for specific failures, they largely lack a suite of MFT dashboarding and analytics tools that can provide a visual representation of your file transfer infrastructure.

Proofpoint Secure Share, a trusted cloud-based file-sharing solution, widely integrated into the infrastructure of many businesses, announced its retirement. As seasoned experts, this isn’t our first end-of-life rodeo, and as leading file transfer specialists, we feel compelled to share our knowledge on what this means for your business and help assist you in transitioning to an alternative secure solution. 

At over twenty years old, SSH can be considered something of an old man in IT - given the pace of change. It's not often that the old ways are best in IT, but SSH is one of those rare pillars of consistency, providing security in a file transfer world where security threats, data exfiltration and spoofing are commonplace. So how has it remained so relevant?

When it comes to Managed File Transfer (MFT), the fundamental questions stay the same. Questions around authentication, certificates, firewalls, encryption, the list goes on and on! We are, however, starting to see a shift in some of the enquiries we are receiving in the technical department here at Pro2col. A cautious customer is emerging.

Salesforce has become the go-to solution to tackle the many challenges businesses face in 2024, but with this huge success and adoption of the software across all industries and businesses big and small, Salesforce can still fail to hit the mark and comes with its own set of limitations and challenges.

If you say 'FTP' to anyone in tech, the first two applications that come to mind are FileZilla and WinSCP. FileZilla has been around for 22 years and is a staple of any tech administrator's arsenal. However, in a world where there is a cyber-attack every 39 seconds (according to Cobalt labs), can we continue to take the risk on applications we think of as “Old Faithful”?

Who are you? Are you allowed to be here? And, what are your intentions? – it’s an odd way to begin an interaction and seems rather counterproductive to all things human, but this model of “never trust, always verify” has overstayed the normal length of time for a buzz term giving it legitimacy.

Workflow automation refers to methods (and systems) that streamline the movement of tasks, documents, and data within work processes by automating them to fit with organisational processes and policies. This blog looks at five advanced workflow automation examples that Pro2col have recently delivered to enterprise customers.

I’m sure that just like me, you have known technicians who have come up with often ingenious ways to address the day-to-day business challenges that we all encounter. Whilst it’s great to have these people around who can provide a quick solution and support it when needed, it’s far too easy to become dependent upon them...

What does Managed File Transfer look like in 2024? We asked our Pro2col experts and industry leaders to get out their crystal balls and share their predictions for MFT this year...  

In the ever-changing world of IT, we see AI (Artificial Intelligence) being included in many solutions we use every day. MFT (Managed File Transfer) is no exception to this and is an area that could benefit from AI inclusions.

In this progressively data-driven world, organisations must prioritise robust data security. Discover why and learn more about how data security is set to evolve over the next two decades in this informative on-demand webinar brought to you by Pro2col and Axway.