Secure file sharing portal: SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance you can trust

At a glance

• Claims of being “secure” do not satisfy auditors. Email and generic file sharing lack BAAs, DPAs, SCCs, immutable logs, and rapid breach response, exposing you to fines and lost trust.
• A portal built for scrutiny with SOC 2 Type II coverage, AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, MFA and RBAC, exportable tamper-evident logs, retention and legal holds, signed BAAs and DPAs, and SCCs for cross-border data.
• A clear checklist and implementation roadmap to meet SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR in practice, including sharing controls, DLP and malware scanning, backup and recovery, SIEM-ready logs, 72-hour breach processes, and required contracts and proofs.
• Moxo operationalizes compliance with SSO and MFA, workspace-level key separation, one-click audit exports, BAAs, DPAs, and SCCs. Real results show faster onboarding and cleaner audits. The smart move is to standardize on a compliance-ready portal and retire risky email attachments.

‍

What does compliance really mean in 2025

Anyone can claim their platform is "secure." But secure how? According to which standards? And with what proof, when regulators or auditors request evidence?

In regulated industries like finance, law, healthcare, and education, what matters is whether your platform can prove compliance. Start by reviewing your vendor’s security documentation and independent attestations.

When regulators request logs, clients send due diligence checklists, or auditors want documentation, a vague statement like “we use encryption” will not be enough.

You need a secure file sharing portal with built-in controls, clear documentation, and independent validation.

Design your portal for scrutiny, not just convenience, so you pass SOC 2 audits, align with HIPAA safeguards, and respond to GDPR breaches within 72 hours.

‍

The big three: SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR

These are the core compliance standards that matter most. Before choosing any vendor, make sure they meet the technical, legal, and audit expectations behind each one.

1. SOC 2: Trust Services Criteria

SOC 2 is not a certificate. It is an attestation. A third-party auditor (usually a CPA) evaluates your vendor’s controls against five criteria: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.

• Type I checks if controls are designed properly
• Type II checks if those controls work over time (this is what clients and auditors expect)

✅ Ask for a current SOC 2 Type II report that covers the portal systems, not just the infrastructure provider.

2. HIPAA: For healthcare and PHI

If your portal handles protected health information (PHI), HIPAA’s Security Rule requires administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.

• Encryption is not mandatory, but if you skip it, you must explain why
• Vendors must offer and sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

✅ No BAA means the platform is not HIPAA compliant. Period.

3. GDPR: For any EU or UK personal data

GDPR compliance requires strong technical and organizational safeguards. Article 32 mandates:

• Encryption
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Breach notification within 72 hours

If your file-sharing vendor processes data on your behalf, you also need:

• A Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for cross-border data transfers

✅ Breach response, audit logs, and processor contracts are not optional. They are baseline requirements.

‍

What should a secure file-sharing portal actually include

If you're evaluating solutions, use this as your final checklist to confirm which vendor can actually deliver on security, compliance, and control at scale.

1. Role-based access and multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Only the right people get access. Use SSO or SAML for login, and require MFA for all administrators.

2. End-to-end encryption

Your data should be encrypted both in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Separate keys by workspace if possible.

3. Smart data management

Set rules for data retention, maintain version history, and use links that automatically expire. This helps track what happened and when.

4. Secure audit logs

Track every action, including views, shares, and deletions. Logs must be tamper-proof, timestamped, and easy to export.

5. Data loss prevention and malware protection

Use antivirus scanning and sensitive data detection (PII, PHI, etc.). Add watermarks and restrict to view-only mode when needed. 

6. Precise sharing controls

Control sharing by user, link, and expiration. Use password protection and limit downloads. Set guest access to auto-expire. Pair with client portal patterns.

7. Safe collaboration tools

Allow secure previews in-browser, use redaction and commenting, and add mobile protections like remote wipe and PIN access.

8. Backup and recovery

Use geo-redundant backups. Define your recovery objectives clearly. Regularly test your disaster recovery plan. Ask for RPO and RTO details on platform security.

9. Legal compliance ready

Be ready with signed HIPAA BAAs, GDPR DPAs, SCCs, and a clear list of subprocessors.

10. Proof of security

Share a current SOC 2 Type II report and pen test results, and clearly define responsibilities between vendor and customer. Confirm audit exports in the audit trail.

‍

How Moxo makes compliance practical

You don’t need to bolt compliance onto your workflows. Moxo integrates security and regulatory readiness, enabling your team to move fast and stay audit-ready.

• Audit logs on demand: One-click exports with tamper-evident timestamps via audit trail
• Granular, role-based access: Consultants only see their files. Clients only access their materials
• MFA and SSO baked in: MFA is enforced. SSO integrations with Okta or Azure AD take just minutes
• Client-side encryption: All files are encrypted in transit and at rest, with workspace-level key separation
• BAA and DPA ready: Moxo signs HIPAA and GDPR contracts and supports SCCs, with data centers in multiple regions

Real customer outcomes

• BNP Paribas cut onboarding time by 50% while meeting KYC and audit standards through the Moxo-powered MyWealth app.
• Falconi Consulting reduced project turnaround time by 40% with automated, multi-party approvals.
• Veon Szu Law Firm achieved 80% workflow efficiency with a secure portal and e-signature flows.

‍

Checklist for your compliance-ready portal

Before you commit to any file-sharing platform, use this checklist to confirm it meets real-world compliance and security standards, not just marketing promises.

• Does the portal support SSO, MFA, and role-based access control?
• Is encryption configured per NIST guidance for both in transit and at rest?
• Are audit logs immutable, exportable, and compatible with SIEM tools?
• Is there a signed BAA and DPA? Are SCCs included for international data?
• Can you control file sharing by recipient, link, and expiration?
• Does the vendor have a current SOC 2 Type II report?
• Are retention, legal hold, and deletion policies supported?
• Is the breach response aligned with GDPR’s 72-hour window?

‍

Ready to make compliance a feature, not a risk?

Your file sharing portal needs to do more than move documents. It must prove you’ve met your obligations under SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR at any time.

Moxo makes that possible with compliance-ready infrastructure, contract-ready legal support, and audit-ready logging.

Book a demo and see how Moxo helps you collaborate securely and stay compliant.

‍

FAQs

What makes SOC 2 Type II different from Type I?

Type I checks control at a moment in time. Type II confirms those controls work over a longer period, which is why it’s the gold standard.

What happens if my portal doesn’t comply with GDPR?

You may face regulatory fines, be required to report breaches, or lose client trust. GDPR mandates 72-hour breach notifications and data safeguards.