Easy and secure file collaboration: new Cooperative Link sharing by Tresorit

Efficient and secure collaboration is more important than ever for businesses. By introducing our new feature, Cooperative Link, we make it even easier for our users to share files securely and edit them with external partners – all via one encrypted link.

In this interview, Aaron Stillman, Head of Product Marketing at Tresorit, explains how the Cooperative Link is transforming our customers‘ day-to-day work, which challenges we overcame during the development, and how this feature – which is included in all of our SecureCloud business packages – can benefit businesses across various industries with use cases that involve sensitive information.

Mr. Stillman, Tresorit recently introduced a new feature called "Cooperative Link". Could you explain what this feature means for the users?

Aaron Stillman: With pleasure. Our new feature Cooperative Link enables users to share any type of file via a secure link and receive a modified version of that file, all with one end-to-end encrypted link – even with external partners who do not have a Tresorit account. The recipient can not only view and download the file, but also directly upload an edited version through the very same link. The sender will be notified as soon as a new version is available, and can also restore previous versions at any time.

This sounds like a huge simplification for the collaboration and review process, especially if multiple parties are involved. What are the specific use cases for this?

Aaron Stillman: Exactly, streamlining collaboration was one of our key drivers for the development. Many of our customers, such as financial consulting firms, cybersecurity consultants, or law firms, must regularly collaborate with external partners on sensitive documents. Contract negotiations are one example: Both parties must frequently edit the documents while avoiding confusion regarding the different versions. With Cooperative Link, they can manage the entire file collaboration– from sharing to editing - via one single link. This speeds up the process and makes it much clearer.

Finance departments working with external auditors is another use case for making external collaboration smoother using the cooperative link. After receiving the document link, auditors can securely edit and upload updated reports, whilst the company maintains full control and transparency over document changes.

What about security? An important aspect when it comes to working on a document with multiple contributors, especially when external partners are also involved.

Aaron Stillman: For us, security always comes first, of course. All files shared via the Cooperative Link are protected with zero-knowledge end-to-end-encryption, as per usual. This means that only the sender and the recipient can access the content. In addition to that, we prevent users from uploading a different file format, for example.

Transparency is also a key element: The recipient automatically receives an email notification as soon as a new version is uploaded, and can view the version history anytime. Thus, you always stay on top of things when it comes to who edited what and when.

How does this feature stand out in comparison to other tools on the market?

Aaron Stillman: The main difference is that our Cooperative Link combines security and simplicity. Many popular platforms do not offer end-to-end encryption, or only partially. For many other tools, you often need to use different links or workarounds to share and edit files, which leads to confusion and threatens security. With our new feature, sharing, editing and uploading happens via one single secure link, which is a big step for secure two-way collaboration. This not only streamlines the workflow, but makes it more secure, too, by providing one encrypted environment for collaboration

On top of that, the user stays in full control over who accessed the shared file and when edits have been made. This ensures a high level of security and trust, which are pivotal for meeting data privacy and industry regulations like NIS2, DORA, GDPR, FINRA, etc.

What role did customer feedback play when it came to the development of this feature?

Aaron Stillman: A very important role. We listen closely when our customers tell us about their challenges. In fact, every enhancement we make at Tresorit is driven by aggregated customer feedback. One notable example is the development of our secure link, which has evolved since Tresorit’s inception. Today, users can choose from various sharing options and security controls that simplify their daily collaboration.

For one-way sharing, the share link provides a practical one-click solution. When collecting sensitive documents, such as invoices, audit reports, or financial documents from external sources, the file request feature is invaluable. However, the collaboration with external partners often involves multiple review cycles and document changes. In these scenarios, using separate links for sharing and requesting files could be cumbersome and a more dynamic way of file collaboration was required. We wanted to simplify this process as much as possible, without compromising security.

Many of our customers, particularly in the finance and legal sectors, also had specific requirements. For example, they wanted to securely collaborate with external partners, without them having to have a Tresorit account. And this is  a great advancement in our new feature now.

No doubt a strong argument. Which other industries do you consider a target group for this feature?

Aaron Stillman: In addition to the traditional sectors with special security needs such as legal, finance, and IT services, we recognize use cases that are not industry-specific. These include research departments across various industries from healthcare to manufacturing, that frequently collaborate with external partners. They particularly value secure methods of collaboration and file exchange.

One final question: What can we expect from Tresorit in the future? Are there any plans to further expand this feature?

Aaron Stillman: We continue to work hard on exciting new developments that our customers will love. Without giving too much away, let’s just say: our next major release will address the ongoing need for secure collaboration involving sensitive information, while effectively engaging partners, customers, and prospects.  

Many thanks, Mr. Stillman, for these exciting insights!

Learn more about the Cooperative link in our blog.