Introduction

Safe4 offers the capability for any organisation to deliver information securely to any internal or external party, instantly over the internet, and allow permanent subsequent access to such information without compromising the organisation’s mission critical systems and databases.  It enhances communication, reduces cost and improves security, as well as radically reducing carbon emissions.

How the Safe4 System works

When an organisation needs to deliver important information to a client, employee, contractor or any other party, it can be uploaded over a secure internet connection to a secure vault that only the providing organisation and its designated recipients can access. The Safe4 vault automatically notifies the recipient when information has been delivered and is available for them to download or view. Information can be stored in Safe4 vaults as documents, or in structured format in columns and rows, similar to spreadsheets or simple databases.

The information is stored securely within a folder structure that the provider can define, similar to Windows Explorer, and which is fully backed up and always accessible over encrypted internet connections for authorised users only.

The recipient can access the information directly through the Safe4 secure online portal. Authentication based on Username, Password and 2-Factor Authentication applies, and all actions are logged for audit and reporting purposes. Importantly, the recipient does not need to have access to the provider’s business applications. Safe4 also offers a comprehensive Application Programming Interface, so that other business applications can make use of the system’s highly secure information storage and delivery facilities.

Providers, Client Vaults and Users

The three main elements of the Safe4 approach are:-

  • A Provider who supplies the Safe4 service to its clients, or other parties with whom it interacts. A Provider may be a professional practitioner – an accountant, a lawyer, an IFA, a medical practitioner – or a business that regularly provides important information to a client, supplier, agent or employee. Typically the Provider sets up a vault for each participating party or project, and then delivers and stores all important information in the vault for those parties to access securely online.
  • A Client Vault, which is made available by the Provider to a client or other recipient party, may have a standardised folder structure so that documents can be stored and accessed consistently. Safe4 stores information in electronic form online in “the Cloud” in ISO-27001 accredited data centres within the United Kingdom. Folders can be restricted so that access is given only to authorised Users. In these help pages the terms Client and Vault are used interchangeably.
  • A User, who can be an end client or recipient of information from the Provider, or one of the Provider’s own internal staff. Different users can have different rights and permissions to access information stored in vaults. Users can also have access to multiple provider accounts and client vaults.

This guide is broken down into a series of chapters, with individual sections providing detailed instructions on the use of Safe4:

A Quick-Start Guide to Safe4

Basic instruction on the use of Safe4

User Guide

Becoming a Vault User

Logging In and Out

The Home Page and Vaults

Working with Folders and Files

Uploading Documents

Notifications and Messages

My Account

Administration Guide

Provider Management

Client Vault Management

Group Management

Provider User Management

Client Vault User Management

Folder Management

Managing Branding

Safe4 Reporting

Direct File Access Guide

What is WebDAV?

Setting up WebDAV

Using WebDAV within Windows

Standard Windows Functions

Using WebDAV with MS Office

Bulk Upload and Download

WebDAV Performance

Mobile Access to Safe4

Safe4 Mobile: The Basics

Safe4 Mobile: Files and Folders

Safe4 Mobile: Uploading Files

SWW Members Guide

Initiating Your Provider Account

Managing Your Provider Account

Structure of Inheritance Vaults

Adding New Inheritance Vaults

Inviting Inheritance Vault Users

Inheritance Vault User Guide

Using the Digital Inheritance Vault

The Safe4 Asset Register

Basic Concepts and Permissions

Creating and Defining Asset Types

Creating and Defining Attributes

Associating Asset Types with Attributes

Attribute Definitions

Constructing the Asset Hierarchy

Working with Standard Folders and Permissions

Adding and Maintaining Asset Records

Access and Usage from Mobile Devices

Advanced System Admin

System Admin Basic Concepts

Creating Providers

Copying Providers

Global Management of Provider Users

Global Management of Vault Users

Safe4 GDPR Extensions

Deleting Providers

Deleting Vaults

Removing Users

Deleting Previous Versions of Files

Producing a Subject Access Request Report