The Problem
- For security reasons, the Port of Rotterdam Authority does not allow people to share files or use OneDrive to engage with external stakeholders. They needed a secure method of emailing data securely which prevents data loss and ensures compliance
- For general emails, the Authority also felt that email alone was not secure enough. They needed to provide employees with a way to encrypt emails before sending them
- Two way engagement with external stakeholders was also a priority; the ability to receive large files and secure messages from outside of the authority was key
The Solution
- Zivver integrates with M365 to enables large file transfer (up to 5TB) with advanced encryption and human error prevention tools
- Two factor authentication (2FA) and zero knowledge encryption prevents unauthorized access to emails - supporting compliance with data governance laws
- People outside of the Authority can email securely in response to employee’s emails, without having to create accounts
Port of Rotterdam Authority aims to strengthen the competitive position of the port of Rotterdam as a logistics hub and a world-class industrial complex. The Port Authority's core tasks are the sustainable development, management and operation of the port, the maintenance of the smooth and safe handling of shipping and supporting the future-resilience of the port of Rotterdam.
We spoke to Product Owner Julien Kooiman to find out how the organization is using Zivver to engage with a huge variety of stakeholders:
Finding the right solution
“We need to cooperate with external agencies, authorities, as well as our own internal teams securely and easily. We use Microsoft 365 and OneDrive but, for security reasons, do not allow people to share files from their OneDrive, in case they share company information with their personal email addresses. We also don’t feel comfortable opening up OneDrive to external stakeholders.”
“We do use SharePoint in some instances. However, for incidental communications, we were missing a solution. And, when people came up against the roadblock of needing to share a large file, they’d resort to platforms like Dropbox and WeTransfer. We don’t believe those solutions are secure enough. That was the attraction of Zivver. Every file and message is sent encrypted as standard.”
“In addition, people outside of the organization regularly need to send files to us. With Zivver, we can send them an email and they can reply to us securely and attach large files.”
Controlling access to data
“Zivver allows us to set expiration controls to all content exchanged, so provides fantastic control in that sense too. Our policy is an access period of 14 days. After that, the content is removed.”
“Plus, we use Zivver’s multi-factor authentication controls to ensure only the appropriate recipient accesses files and emails. We can choose between sending a verification code by SMS, or creating a password. This flexibility is very handy.”
“People across the organization handle different kinds of sensitive data. For example, the Harbour Master’s Division is responsible for keeping the harbor safe. They often need to share official documents with the authorities. Camera footage in the harbor area must be shared with the Ministry of Justice. This information cannot be intercepted or sent to the wrong inbox.”
Enabling large file sharing
“When construction projects are completed, we need to hand over huge quantities of information to the organizations responsible for maintaining the project. This could be a file of 1TB or more. We used to put that data on a DVD and drive it over to the company to pass it on in person. Obviously, Zivver is far more efficient and secure!”
“We engage with a broad range of stakeholders: construction companies, advertising companies and partners, movie and picture businesses, the Rotterdam Municipality, police, and environmental organizations to name a few. And then, of course, we engage with the companies operating in the harbor itself, our customers. This means the recipient experience was a priority for us. The feedback we receive about Zivver is only positive. People tell us that accessing files sent by Zivver, and sending files to use, is easy; just like a normal email.”
“The way we use Zivver ensures that every message is encrypted, and eliminates the chance of human error. Zivver alerts users to the potential misuse of cc. So, if someone is about to send an email using cc instead of bcc, they have the opportunity to review and correct that.”
“The audit logs and reporting suite let us know who is using Zivver. Sometimes this is a good prompt for us to remind people that Zivver is there to be used.”
“I’ve only received positive feedback about Zivver so far from our employees. People tell me that it’s a good addition to our suite, because the ability to share large files was missing. It’s a single sign-on solution, very easy to use and people are happy to use it!”
