If you missed the first blog in this two-part series on enterprise file security tools consider checking it out here before reading this post, where we’ll cover digital watermarking, secure email links and end-to-end encryption.
What Is Digital Watermarking?
Digital watermarking presents enterprise documents within a browser window rather than as a downloadable file.
While digital watermarking is often seen as a function of information rights management or digital rights management (DRM), it frequently stands alone as a feature of enterprise file security platforms.
When you render a file within a browser window, you’re able to apply digital watermarks that enhance the security of the file.
Digital watermarks could be items like a timestamp, a company logo, or the email, MAC or IP address of the device used to view the document. Any or all of these identifiers could be used to digitally watermark a file so that IT teams can easily audit who has viewed the file and what actions they took. Providing end users with visible evidence that their activity and identity is being monitored and recorded helps to discourage data theft.
Replacing Attachments With Secure Email Links
The problem with trying to secure email attachments lies in the unsecured nature of email itself. For secure email, you have to make sure that message is secure on the sending and receiving ends of the communication. Sending encrypted emails (and ensuring they’re properly received) is often complex for both end users and IT teams. Moreover, the attachments delivered via email are what contain most of the intellectual property and other enterprise data that must remain secure.
By using secure links instead of attachments, you’re able to further strengthen your multi-dimensional grasp of enterprise file security. For example, if you send an email attachment to a recipient outside of the corporate network, a third party such as Google or Office 365 may manage the remote email client. When you’re dealing with sensitive or proprietary information, sending data through these third-party platforms raises legal questions and compliance issues surrounding exactly who has access to that attachment.
In such cases, it’s better to convert attachments to secure links, so that you’re able to achieve more robust access control. Secure links enable the sender to control who has access to the information, how many times they may view the link, and from where the link may be viewed. Plus, it’s easier to manage encryption, access and DRM policies.
From an end-user perspective, there’s little to no difference in their workflow. A secure link is inserted into an email message just like an attachment via an Outlook plug-in, and opening a secure link is as easy as opening an attachment.
End-To-End Encryption For Comprehensive Enterprise File Security
Since most organizations are divided into various teams, each with the need to create enterprise files and share data, it’s important to ensure that files stay encrypted at the source, regardless of where the source is. The most capable enterprise file security solutions can provide end-to-end encryption that starts at the source, keeps data encrypted as it moves to its destination, and upholds the encryption while the data is both at rest and in use.
End-to-end encryption ensures a critical layer of enterprise file security; even if your enterprise files fall into the wrong hands, the encrypted data is useless to the perpetrator.
At-source encryption is a critical component of end-to-end encryption. Your enterprise file security platform must have at-source encryption built into the core of the platform from day one. This technology can’t be patched in later. At-source encryption is essential for comprehensive enterprise file security due to the dynamic nature of how files are created and shared. When all data is encrypted at the source, you don’t need to worry whether it’s safe as it gets shared with various mobile devices and other endpoints.
The aforementioned enterprise file security tools (along with everything covered in Part 1 are often indispensable in achieving comprehensive enterprise file security.
Ready to learn more about the tools you need to maintain enterprise file security wherever your data goes? Read Vaultize’s free whitepaper, 9 Ways To Dramatically Control Enterprise File Security & Access Rights.
