A client portal is an electronic gateway to a collection of digital files, services, and information, accessible over the Internet through a web browser.
[1] The organization provides a secure entry point, typically via a website, that lets its clients log into an area where they can view, download, and upload private information.
Privacy laws such as the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act require that organizations encrypt their clients' personally identifiable information that is sent online electronically.
Other advantages of client portals, as distinguished from email, include increased file size limitations and self-service access to a private repository.
Businesses still wishing to use client portals usually adopt private cloud solutions and host the software on-premises.