SFT/Kiteworks Info

Secure File Transfer allows MITRE employees and external Partners to exchange large (or sensitive) documents and file collections. With the tool you can: 

• share folders, not just individual files
• retain files longer: files placed into folders can persist for up to a month (with an option to extend the expiration)
• provide easier access to your external partners: they will be able to log in with their MITRE Partnership Accounts

The first time you log in, you will be shown a tutorial — a good overview of the product behind SFT, Accellion Kiteworks.

Note: If your browser keeps reloading the login page – simply close all browser windows and start again (to force your browser to start a new session) – or, use InPrivate/Incognito mode in your browser.

Why is SFT/Kiteworks being retired?

SFT/Kiteworks has been an important component of MPN for over ten years. During that time, MITRE has moved beyond shuttling files back and forth over the firewall, and towards more meaningful and collaborative engagements with our external Partners. Box has been in use at MITRE for several years, and has proven itself to be a reliable, capable platform for modern content collaboration.

How can I learn more about SFT's replacement, Box?

• Review training materials from the Box support site
• Join the Box user community on Slack
• Dive in! Log into Box

If you have additional questions about Box, want to discuss additional integrations, or are running into hurdles when working with external Partners - please contact mpnsupport@mitre.org

Important Dates:

• November 1, 2022: Solutions Live training on using Box.
• November 18, 2022: limits to new content uploads introduced.
• December 15, 2022: de-facto retirement date for SFT/Kiteworks.
• July 3, 2023: due to concurrent MPA retirement, auto-invitations are no longer functional. New users have to be invited via Launch Control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What platform should I use to store files that once resided on SFT/Kiteworks?

It depends. We recommend that you use OneDrive to store/share your internal files. Use Box to store/share files with external parties.

Will my data get copied over automatically?

At this time, an automatic transition is not planned, since content in SFT/Kiteworks is completely unstructured. You can use the following steps to copy data over:
- In SFT/Kiteworks, select a folder, and press "Download". This will pull down the entire folder, including any subdirectories, in a ZIP file.
- Install Box Sync, which allows you to synchronize folder(s) on your computer with Box.
- Create a new Box folder via the sync client.
- Unzip the downloaded file into that new folder, and let Box push it up to the server.

How do I invite new users into SFT/Kiteworks?

First, create the SFT folder, and copy the location of the folder.

Next, visit Launch Control, and create a new "engagement" for your project. In that engagement, create a new workspace of the "Bookmark Website" type. Set the URL of the workspace to point to the SFT folder.

Then add members to the workspace that need invites. This will issue the invite to create an account.  Standard Bookmark workspaces do not manage the permissions downstream, so you will still need to grant them permissions within the folder in SFT.

Do permissions migrate along with files from SFT/Kiteworks to Box?

In short, no. Box uses different accounts/invitations from SFT/Kiteworks - plus, project folders in Box will be organized in a structured way for better findability.

What training opportunities are available to move to Box?

A Solutions Live event was hosted on November 1, 2022. If you missed the live event, watch on demand via FastJump: Solutions Live.

I use SFT/Kiteworks when working at a sponsor site to transfer files to my MITRE laptop. Can I use Box or another method for this same purpose?

Yes, you can move files from your Box account to your computer. If you need other corporate file storage/sharing options, see this infographic.

I suspect that my Sponsor/Partner organization is blocking access to Box - how can I confirm?

Please review the informational site tracking Box usage at sponsor locations.

If your external partner is not listed, pleas send them this Welcome to Box link as a test. If they cannot access it, please notify us.

Log in

As a MITRE employee, you can access Secure File Transfer using the FastJump “SFT Login“. When you are not on the MITRE network, navigate directly to https://sft.mitre.org.

As an external partner, you will navigate to SFT via https://sft.mitre.org, and log in with your MITRE Partnership Account.

Invites

Prior to retirement, SFT invites were issued automatically. Coincidentally, the MPA (MITRE Partnership Account) tool that was responsible for invites is also being retired. You can issue invitations using the new onboarding tool, Launch Control:

1. Create the SFT folder, and copy the location of the folder.
2. Visit Launch Control, and create a new “engagement” for your project.
3. Create a new workspace of the “Bookmark Website” type. Set the URL of the workspace to point to the SFT folder.
4. You can now send invitations by adding users to this workspace.

Same as other MITRE Partnership Network (MPN) tools, SFT can be used to collaborate with foreign nationals. Remember that the owner of the file/folder is responsible for verifying that everybody on the access list has permission to the content.

Storage Quota

By default users are given 10 GBs of storage quota. However, you can send larger files individually using the “send” feature – they just won’t be stored in a folder. To regain quota, you can permanently delete files (see “Delete Files or Folders” below). If you require more than 10 GBs of space, submit a ticket to mpnsupport@mitre.org to increase your quota.

Check Your Quota Usage

1. Click on your profile icon in the top right-hand corner and select Settings
2. On the account landing page, at the bottom you will see your Folder Quota with a progress bar to indicate amount used. Under that is your current amount used and the quota you have.
3. While you have unlimited Attachment quota for the Email feature, you can opt to clean up the content by clicking the Manage mail attachments button.
   

   

File Types and Sensitivity

SFT will accept any file type. For everyone’s peace of mind, files are scanned for viruses during upload.

MITRE SFT meets safeguarding requirements for transferring sensitive and highly sensitive MITRE and government Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) information per Corporate Security Procedures. CUI includes information designated as FOUO, SBU, LES, and similar special handling caveats. SFT is not suitable for classified information.

Please note that you are responsible for marking your content appropriately and informing recipients of proper handling instructions. One way to remind them is to adjust the names of files or folders – e.g., by adding [FOUO] to them.

SFT supports two ways of sharing files: via message attachments (“send file” feature), or via sharing files from folders. 

Sharing from folders is much more convenient and powerful. Folders make it easier to track who is sharing what and with whom. They also encourage proper two-way collaboration (i.e., people can work on documents together). 

Send Files via Inbox

The Send File feature works much like email, as files can be attached to messages sent to recipients. Partners still require an account to access these files. They will need to navigate to the Inbox in SFT/Kiteworks – the email notifications only take you to the top-level URL. 

Note: while the files sent via Send File are transmitted securely (require a login for retreival), message text is sent in the body of the email notification, and is thus accessible without logging into SFT/Kiteworks. If you need to include sensitive information in the message itself, please contact mpnsupport@mitre.org.

The files sent via this feature expire after 30 days, so they are not as effective for collaboration. These files do not count against your quota. 

Create Folder and Upload Files

1. To get started, hit the “+ New” icon:
   
2. Select Folder (alternatively, you can start from Upload). Remember – you can share any folder except My Folder.
3. Go ahead and enter a name and a description for the new folder, and hit Save. 

Let’s go over the important parts of the interface:

• Upload button allows you to add files to the current folder
• More (…) menu lets you control the folder: you can Manage members (set permissions), Edit properties, or Delete the folder

Note: Folders allow you to share groups of files together — all with the same permissions and expiration settings. You can still send individual files using the “Mail” feature – just remember that sent files expire in 30 days.

Share File and Manage Permissions

Use the Invite new member button on the right side of the folder display. Press the ‘Tab’ key after entering each email address.

The “Manage Members” dialog shows everyone who has access to the folder:

Hit Invite new member to add MITRE or non-MITRE users to the list by entering their email addresses. People that you add will receive an email notification directing them to the folder – and, if they do not have a current MITRE Partnership account, an invitation to create one. Note: you can invite multiple people by separating their email addresses with semicolons.

The possible roles are:

Delete Files or Folders

Select a file – the Delete button will appear.

Note that deleted files and folders count against your quota for 14 days. To permanently delete a file, follow these steps:

1. Go to the folder that you deleted the files from
2. Look at the “Details” tab on the right, and click on the “deleted files” link
3. You can select the files you wish to permanently delete (or restore)

To permanently delete a folder, follow these steps:

1. Go to the main All Files page
2. Look at the “Details” tab on the right, and click on the “deleted folders” link
3. You can select the folders you wish to permanently delete (or restore)

Extend Folder Expiration

By default, SFT folders now expire in 30 days (prior to the retirement announcement, the period was set to one year). You will receive an email reminder 7 days prior to expiration. To extend the expiration date, follow these steps:

1. Select the folder, then open the folder options menu shown as …. Click on Folder Properties.
2. Expand Security settings, and adjust the date for up to 30 days into the future.
3. Click Save

Sub-folders will inherit the expiration setting, unless you have customized the expiration on a sub-folder.