Globalscape EFT™ v8.0.4 introduces a variety of feature upgrades derived by valuable customer-driven feedback and strategic changes that further our API-first initiative to better serve the needs of our clients.

Upgrades to features include:

• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
• Workspaces History
• Upload Forms
• Updated SFTP Ciphers
• Workspaces + SAML/JIT
• Expanded RESTful Interface
• Dataset Variable Type
• and a variety of minor features

Overcome Data Integration and Application Challenges 
With the initial release of EFT version 8, adopting an API-first strategy made it increasingly easier to overcome organizational boundaries between cloud, on-premises, and more. EFT v8.0.4 eases the challenges further by exposing a set of RESTful interfaces for configuring EFT settings and consuming its automated workflows. These RESTful interfaces follow the JSON:API spec and provide for highly granular access controls, making it easier than ever to delegate administrative duties, such as business partner provisioning, while limiting access to other parts of the system, such as automated workflows (event rules).

An Upgrade to Automation Means More Efficiency 
Automation in the workforce saves time and money. Therefore, we have enhanced our event rules engine with the highly anticipated addition of the Dataset Variable Type. Similar to what programmers refer to as arrays, datasets permit EFT to write tabular data to a variable, such as the contents of a CSV file or remote business partners’ file listing. They then loop through the contents of the dataset and read values from the dataset or make decisions based on values encountered.

Maintain a Manual Process, If Needed 
Although automated workflows are a highly efficient and effective means of integrating data, sometimes a manual process is called for. EFT has long supported the ability to exchange data interactively via its built-in Web Transfer Client (WTC) interface. Taking it a step further, EFT v8.0.4 includes secure Upload Forms. EFT administrators can visually and easily create simple to complex forms that conditionally appear when business partners upload data via the WTC. Form data is entered by users and then captured along with the file(s) being transferred. It is then passed through as contextual variables to EFT’s automated workflows, which can use this metadata to drive conditional logic or feed it to downstream processes.

EFT WTC enhancements also extended to its Person-to-Person (P2P) capabilities, known as EFT Workspaces. This feature facilitates secure folder and file sharing between authorized users and “guests” without the need for administrative involvement. Workspaces now includes historical records of folder sharing transactions, in addition to a Sent and Received messages panel where participants can view, track, and even re-download historical messages and files sent or received.

Security Improvements to Put You at Ease 
Underpinning the numerous feature enhancements in EFT v8.0.4 is the less visible, but ever-present improvements to EFT’s security architecture. Protocols have been expanded to include newer and more powerful ciphers, key exchange algorithms (KEXs), and message authentication codes (MACs). Password complexity was further reinforced to curtail misuse and abuse while still allowing for simplistic, but high entropy “battery horse staple correct”-style passwords. Partner authentication and P2P account registration were also expanded to support randomized, unique One-Time Passwords (OTPs) fulfilled over SMS or via email, for state-of-the-art Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) support, regardless of the back-end authentication provider (AD, LDAP, password based, etc.)