1. Overview
Industrial MFT (Managed File Transfer) is a secure file transfer platform designed for organizations that need to exchange sensitive data while meeting regulatory compliance requirements. It supports automated workflows, encryption at rest and in transit, and full audit logging.
2. Installation
System Requirements
- Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2019+ (64-bit)
- 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended for production)
- 500 MB disk space plus storage for file transfers
- Network access to transfer endpoints
Installing Industrial MFT
- Download Industrial MFT from guardlinkx.com
- Extract the ZIP file
- Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
- Configure your license key during setup
3. License Tiers
Professional
- HIPAA and SOX compliance modules
- Automated transfer workflows
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- Audit logging with retention
- Up to 10 transfer endpoints
Enterprise
- Everything in Professional, plus:
- PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance modules
- Unlimited transfer endpoints
- High availability clustering
- Custom integration API
- Priority support with SLA
4. Setting Up Transfer Workflows
Creating a Transfer
- Go to Transfers → New Transfer
- Configure the Source: local folder, SFTP server, or cloud storage
- Configure the Destination: local folder, SFTP server, or cloud storage
- Set transfer options: encryption, compression, file filters
- Optionally set a schedule for recurring transfers
- Click Save to create the workflow
Supported Protocols
- SFTP — Secure File Transfer Protocol (recommended)
- FTPS — FTP over TLS
- HTTPS — File upload/download via REST API
- Local — Folder-to-folder on the same machine or network share
Scheduling Transfers
- In the transfer workflow, click Schedule
- Choose frequency: hourly, daily, weekly, or custom cron expression
- Set start time and optional end date
- Enable Retry on Failure for automatic retry with exponential backoff
5. Compliance Modules
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
- End-to-end encryption for all transfers containing PHI
- Access controls with role-based permissions
- 6-year audit log retention
- Automatic breach notification alerts
- BAA (Business Associate Agreement) support
SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
- 7-year retention for financial document transfers
- Tamper-proof audit trail with digital signatures
- Segregation of duties enforcement
- Change management logging
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
Enterprise tier only
- Automatic detection and masking of card numbers in transit
- Encryption key management aligned with PCI requirements
- Network segmentation verification
- Quarterly compliance scanning
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Enterprise tier only
- Configurable data retention with automatic deletion
- Right-to-delete support for personal data
- Data processing activity logging
- Cross-border transfer tracking
6. Audit & Monitoring
Audit Logs
Every transfer, configuration change, and user action is logged with:
- Timestamp
- User who performed the action
- Source and destination details
- File names, sizes, and checksums
- Transfer status (success, failure, partial)
- Error details if applicable
Viewing Audit Logs
- Go to Audit tab
- Filter by date range, user, transfer type, or status
- Export logs as CSV or PDF for compliance reporting
Alerts
- Configure email alerts for transfer failures
- Set thresholds for unusual activity (large file transfers, off-hours activity)
- Compliance alerts for retention policy violations
7. Security
Encryption
- In transit — All transfers use encrypted protocols (SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS)
- At rest — Files stored locally are encrypted with military-grade encryption
- Key management — Encryption keys are managed centrally with automatic rotation
Access Control
- Role-based access: Administrator, Operator, Auditor, Viewer
- Per-workflow permissions
- IP whitelist for API access
- Multi-factor authentication (Enterprise tier)
8. API Integration
Enterprise tier only
Industrial MFT provides a REST API for programmatic control:
- POST /api/transfers/start — Trigger a transfer workflow
- GET /api/transfers/status — Check transfer status
- GET /api/audit/logs — Query audit logs
- POST /api/endpoints/create — Register a new transfer endpoint
API authentication uses API keys issued per user account.
9. Troubleshooting
Transfer fails with "Connection refused"
- Verify the remote server address and port
- Check firewall rules on both sides
- Test connectivity with a manual SFTP client
- Ensure SSH/SFTP service is running on the remote server
Transfer hangs or times out
- Check network bandwidth between source and destination
- Increase timeout settings in the workflow configuration
- For large files, enable chunked transfer mode
- Check if the remote server has disk space available
Compliance report shows violations
- Check retention settings match your compliance requirements
- Ensure encryption is enabled for all transfers containing sensitive data
- Review access control settings for the affected workflows
- Contact your compliance officer for guidance
10. Contact Support
If you need further help:
- Email: services@guardlinkx.com
- Include your MFT version, license tier, and a description of the issue
- For compliance-related inquiries, include your regulatory framework (HIPAA, SOX, etc.)
- Enterprise customers: Use your dedicated support channel for priority response