MFT: Not Just Your First Line of Cyber Defence

Every organisation serious about protecting its data will likely come to view a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution as one of their first lines of defence. 

Employing MFT as the standard when exchanging data puts organisations light years ahead of businesses still relying on risky File Transfer Protocol and email to transfer files. MFT platforms not only centralise – and therefore, control - data transfer, they also enable companies to apply comprehensive policies which protect data. 

Data can be insulated from threats as diverse as inbound malware to careless employees entrusting files to external platforms beyond an organisation’s direct control, such as Google Drive and Dropbox.  Critical protection policies, such as those encompassing encryption, monitoring, and auditing capability, can be enforced. 

High Volume = High Exposure  

In 2024, businesses were responsible for generating around 30% of the world’s data—an astonishing ~44.1 zettabytes.  That included data such as transaction records, CRM logs, ERP systems, IoT sensor data from manufacturing and logistics, internal communications, analytics, and cloud backups, AI training datasets and other enterprise software usage. 

But as the volume of data used and consumed by businesses grows, so too does the cost and impact of potentially losing that data.  The high ransoms now regularly being paid to cyberthieves amply demonstrate just how valuable business data has become. 

Surely it makes more sense to invest in a relatively inexpensive protective technology like MFT, than to lose equivalent funding — or greater — in the form of ransoms paid to cyber thieves?  

Lessons from Bankers 

Banks, traditional repositories of valuables from cash, precious metals and sensitive documents, have learned a lot over the years about protecting assets.  And their learnings are relevant to how we should be protecting our valuable data. 

Banks no longer store our valuables in a single bank vault. Nor for that matter do they store our digital currency on a single server.   

Rather, banks protect our precious assets — physical and digital — behind layers of security.  Physical valuables sit behind physical barriers, multiple locks, access control systems, remote monitoring and security guards.  Digital valuables are protected against threats such as malware, ransomware, accidental data loss, third-party exposure, and zero-day attacks by a broad array of technologies. 

Sitting beneath those technologies, ensuring they’re enforced and providing a sound bedrock of centralised control, surveillance and auditing, is MFT.   

Adding Layered Defence  

At Generic Systems Australia we’re adept at installing and maintaining the world’s leading MFT, GoAnywhere.  And our Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) bundle significantly enhances GoAnywhere’s data protection capabilities by introducing a proactive, multilayered defence against both external threats and internal data leakage.  

While GoAnywhere already provides secure encryption, access controls, and audit trails for file transfers, the ATP bundle adds dynamic inspection and sanitisation that targets the content itself—not just the container. 

At the heart of this integration is the Clearswift Secure ICAP Gateway, which enables deep content inspection and adaptive Data Loss Prevention (DLP). This means every file transferred through GoAnywhere can be scanned for malware, embedded scripts, macros, and other active content that could compromise systems. Unlike traditional antivirus tools, ATP sanitises files in real time—removing only the malicious elements while allowing legitimate content to pass through uninterrupted.  

Limiting Exposure 

Beyond malware, the ATP Bundle also addresses sensitive data exposure. It can detect and block files containing personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, or confidential metadata before they’re shared externally.  

Policies can be set to redact sensitive text, strip geotags and even apply optical character recognition (OCR) to scanned documents to catch hidden data. This empowers organisations to enforce granular control over who can transmit sensitive content and under what conditions—adding a layer of governance that encryption alone cannot provide. 

In essence, the ATP Bundle transforms GoAnywhere from a secure conduit into an intelligent gatekeeper. It doesn’t just move data safely—it understands what’s inside, evaluates its risk, and ensures that only clean, compliant content reaches its destination. 

Modular Enhancements 

Augmenting GoAnywhere’s capabilities are Modules which can further protect an organisation from the inherent risks of legacy protocols such as SFTP/FTPS, email attachments and manual processes. 

• SFTP Server can be upgraded to by GoAnywhere SFTP Server Module, enabling SSH-encrypted transfer with centralised access control, audit logging and integration with Active Directory. 

• FTPS Server can be upgraded to FT Module, offering SSL/TLS encryption, customisable access, and DMZ-safe deployment via GoAnywhere Gateway. 

• HTTPS Web Uploads can be replaced by the Secure Folders Module to create browser-based file access with HTTPS encryption and user authentication. 

• AS2/AS4/PeSIT can be replaced by Certified Protocol Modules, providing Retail and banking-grade secure exchange with Drummond certification. 

  
  

These modules consolidate disparate protocols into a single, scalable platform—reducing complexity, improving visibility, and enforcing consistent security policies across all transfers. 

Making Email Secure 

Email is ubiquitous. However, it's also one of the least secure ways to transmit sensitive data. Fortra’s Secure Mail module in GoAnywhere transforms ad-hoc file sharing into a secure, trackable process without disrupting user workflows. 

Using Secure Mail, Users send files as secure encrypted packages via their browser or an Outlook plugin.  Recipients receive a unique link to download via HTTPS — no files are sent directly via email. Senders can set expiration dates, download limits, and password protection, and all activity is logged for auditability and compliance.

Secure Mail keeps files on your infrastructure until accessed, eliminating third-party hosting risks and ensuring full control over sensitive data. 

Strategic Defence 

By replacing legacy protocols and insecure email practices with GoAnywhere’s modular architecture, organisations gain: 

• Unified governance over all file transfers; 

• Reduced attack surface via DMZ-safe deployment; 

• Improved compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS; and 

• Streamlined user experience without sacrificing security. 

Here to Help 

At Generic Systems Australia we have decades of experience helping Australian and New Zealand organisations protect themselves against malware and other cyber attacks through the power of the world’s leading MFT solution. Our Migration Service makes the transition even easier for organisations who prefer to use their resources building their businesses rather than improving their IT plumbing. 

If you’d like a no-cost, no-obligation discussion about how we could help you simply and affordably adopt an advanced MFT solution, please feel welcome to get in touch with us.  

At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in Secure Managed File Transfer.