Content Protection Blog

User Friendly Approach to Data Leak Prevention Recognized

David Brennan — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:14:00 GMT

The Forrester Wave™: Data Leak Prevention, Q2 2008 was just released and we are extremely pleased with our overall standing. Workshare received the highest score for the company's installed base and tied for top score for its go-to market strategy.

According to key findings from Thomas Raschke:

"Forrester's selection of Workshare as a strong performer is a reflection of Workshare's approach to preventing data leaks.“
"It (Workshare) benefits from tight integration with Microsoft Office, email applications, and its ability to prevent the loss of metadata and hidden data in documents."
"Workshare Protect is tightly integrated with Microsoft's Rights Management System (RMS); it can automate the process of assigning rights via context-based, content-triggered actions, and supports full disk encryption (FDE) for laptops."
"the only vendor that can clean metadata in documents"

You can download the Forrester report here.

“Champion" in Data Protection Report

brian.spector — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:01:00 GMT

Bloor Research has put out their 2008 report on Enterprise Data Protection and recognized Workshare as a “Champion”. Authored by analyst Nigel Stanley, this report focuses on the continuing changes in the marketplace.

The report highlights Bloor’s belief that data leak prevention solutions detect if confidential data is at risk of leaving an organization’s control, such as via email or on a USB drive. While data loss protection includes encryption to protect sensitive data at endpoints and across the enterprise network, such as on laptops or in email.

More and more they see a common theme with data leak prevention and data loss prevention solutions coming together into one unified solution set. Bloor believes that a complete protection solution must include the ability to prevent data leaks and protect against data loss.

Bloor evaluated multiple data protection products and focused on stability and risk, performance, architecture, fit for purpose, ease of use, support and coverage, and value. Workshare was recognized as a “champion” due to the feature set in the Workshare Unified Content Protection (UCP) Suite™. Bloor also recognized that Workshare actively works with partners such as Utimaco, PGP and Voltage to provide a broader offering.

We are honored by Bloor’s recognition as a “Champion” in Enterprise Data Protection.

If you would like to read the full report you can download the data protection report here.

Gone mobile? So has your confidential data.

brian.spector — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

If you think about it, achieving endpoint security is one of the most difficult and most expensive task facing the IT security practitioner. All of your precious data; confidential, secret, personally identifiable, financial, eventually makes it on to the endpoint. Users make multiple copies, cut and paste portions, and forward it to their web email accounts. As the endpoint becomes more mobile the risk to the data on it increases dramatically. The chronicles of data loss are filled with entries on stolen or lost laptops. Knowing the complexity of the data protection issues surrounding the mobile endpoint you can only shake your head in sympathy every time the Veteran’s Administration discloses yet another stolen laptop.

The more mobility the more risk of lost, stolen or misused data. Take the Blackberry for example. This device’s convenience and power are growing with every release. The just released Blackberry Bold will only increase it’s desirability amongst road warriors and corporate execs. The Blackberry has been at the center of several highly publicized data loss incidents. Remember the investment banker that sold his Blackberry on eBay? He neglected to erase it completely and the buyer could see his calls and appointments and contacts: information that could point to potential Merger or Acquisition activity. How about the theft of several Blackberry devices belonging to Whitehouse aids by a Mexican diplomat just weeks ago?

So, do not neglect your Blackberries when scoping out your endpoint security strategy! Assume that all data will end up on them and therefore they should be included in your data protection plans. Encryption, finger printing of data, and rights management are all elements that should be mirrored on mobile devices. With the right tools you can set policy to alert you when someone has just sent your customer list to a competitor, or better yet, block it completely.

We have written a couple of white papers on Blackberry endpoint security that are worth a read. Preventing Sensitive Information Leaks on the BlackBerry Channel is the more technical and describes the Workshare Solution. You may also be interested in a recent case study describing how one law firm solved the mobile endpoint security challenge.

Workshare Protect Adds Free Encryption Services

brian.spector — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Workshare believes all-in-one endpoint encryption must be made cost-effective for everyone from small businesses to very large organizations. Our customers want a range of encryption services fronted by central policy and content analysis to protect against data privacy breaches, intellectual property loss, and other disclosures.

We recently announced all-in-one encryption capabilities for the Workshare Protect Premium client, as part of the Workshare Unified Content Protection (UCP) Suite™ 6. Workshare UCP, released in October 2007, is the security industry’s first solution to integrate data leak prevention with mobile data protection – encryption of full disks, network drives, removable drives and file folders plus secure endpoint port controls – no matter what file type or application is used, or where the data is stored.

The Workshare Protect client for DLP/ILP already has 4,000 customers using policy-enforcement to analyze content risk, convert content to appropriate formats, and apply content rights to protect laptops, desktops, mobile devices and network gateways.

The Workshare Protect Crypto endpoint encryption client comes bundled with the Workshare Protect Premium client at no additional charge. It provides safe harbor compliance and mitigates data loss from content stored on laptops, removable media devices, or network drives. Encryption is performed using AES in CBC mode with 256-bit keys.

The Workshare Protect Crypto client offers the following encryption services:

Full disk encryption
Local volume encryption
Network drive encryption
Removable media encryption
File and folder encryption
Password encryption
Integration with email encryption solutions from Workshare Ready Partners such as Cisco/IronPort, Secure Computing, CryptZone, Voltage, PGP and Utimaco
Integrated Windows login with pre-boot authentication and Active Directory integration
Support for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000

For organizations that want the full benefit of a centrally controlled system, the Protect Crypto clients can be managed through the Workshare Management System Protect Crypto server. It provides an easy-to-use management console, a single or cluster of management client stations, and includes strong authentication with USB keys or smart cards to protect stations and encrypted data stored on hard disks or disk arrays.

The Workshare Management System Protect Crypto server enables organizations to:

Centralize configuration policy management, client distribution and installation
Centralize password and key recovery for help desk personnel
Support multiple disk images to streamline maintainability
Perform auditing and reporting for safe harbor compliance
Run over NTFS, Novell and other network-based file systems

Bundling endpoint encryption with our DLP/ILP client will purposely commoditize costly encryption solutions available that lack real-time content analysis and control in an integrated package. Our Unified Content Protection Suite is now the one-stop shop to define policies, discover risk, remediate content, audit actions and manage incidents – with or without business user interaction inside applications – at endpoints and over network channels.

> Learn more about our Unified Content Protection Suite

Webcast: A New Perspective on Data Protection

David Brennan — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:32:00 GMT

Join CSO Magazine, Microsoft and Workshare on March 31st to hear the latest on Data Protection and Security.

Bob Bragdon from CSO magazine will talk on where the industry is at today and what’s on the horizon for data protection and security.
Microsoft will dive into the benefits of using their comprehensive integrated Forefront security solutions to protect SharePoint, Exchange, and more.
Workshare will discuss why top organizations are demanding a unified protection solution that combines mobile data protection and data leak prevention.

A New Perspective on Data Protection
Date: Monday, March 31, 2008
Time: 8:30am Pacific Standard Time (PST)
(11:30am EST, 4:30pm GMT, 5:30pm CET)
>>> Click here to register (space is limited)

Network Security Best Practices - The Latest on Data Protection

David Brennan — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:20:00 GMT

Join us for a live webinar on February 27th to discover the latest in Network Security best practices for data protection.

Network Security Best Practices - The Latest on Data Protection

In this webinar you will learn:

How the latest research from Forrester Consulting is influencing IT security projects
Why top organizations are demanding a unified protection solution that combines mobile data protection and data leak prevention
How a Professional Services firm created centralized policy management to reassure their clients that confidential information was safe at their offices and when staff were mobile
Why a Financial Services firm decided to monitor outgoing emails and attachments and utilized encryption to protect their customer data

Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Time: 8:30am Pacific Standard Time (PST)
(11:30am EST, 4:30pm GMT, 5:30pm CET)

>> Register here

Data Loss Prevention Briefings

David Brennan — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:57:00 GMT

Join Microsoft and Workshare at an upcoming Executive Breakfast Briefing where Executives will review:

The Latest Data Loss Prevention Research from Forrester Consulting

Learn about the latest research around Data Loss Prevention. How top organizations are driving vendors to combine mobile data protection and data loss prevention with Unified Content Protection.

Workshare's Unified Content Protection Solution

The combination of mobile data protection concepts (encryption and device control) with data leak prevention concepts (policy design, content monitoring, and incident management) is being applied at various points in document lifecycles across and among corporations and professional services firms.

Customer Case Studies

Solution approaches will be presented and discussed during a lively Q&A forum. Hear and see how large Professional Management and Financial Services companies solved the challenge.

Attendees will receive:

Forrester Whitepaper on Data Loss Prevention
Access to industry experts and peers
A special attendee gift

Register for Data Loss Prevention Briefings
Date: February 21, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
> Register here

Location: Downers Grove, IL
Date: February 22, 2007
> Register here

What’s Next In Information Leak Prevention?

David Brennan — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:44:00 GMT

The latest research from Forrester Consulting on Information Leak Prevention is now available via a webcast.

Chief Security Officers and IT Professionals share their concerns, challenges and priorities in protecting information.

In this webcast Thomas Raschke, Senior Industry Analyst for Forrester Consulting, explores:

The top three data loss types companies worry about most
The number one concern regarding data leakage
Which three groups within your company should be concerned about data leaks
Experiences from those who suffered one or more information leaks in the past two years

Hear how:

Inappropriate data transfers or use of removable storage media can create risk
Endpoints are becoming a major concern of risk
Enterprise companies are demanding more in ILP solutions
ILP is evolving and where the industry is moving

See how:

You can reduce risk associated with Information Leak Prevention
Stop internal leaks automatically

>> You can watch this webcast here

Latest Security Threat Report Released

David Brennan — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:06:00 GMT

We have just released our 2nd Global Security Threat Report. Here are a few of the highlights and a link to download the entire report.

United States: World’s largest data breach
The victim of the world’s largest data breach, TJX, has calculated that losses which were originally estimated to be around the $25 million mark have spiraled to $256 million in just three months – August 07

European Union: Concerns over Google
Google, is in a bid to provide a more personalized service and is stepping up its efforts to collect personal information about its users online. The information will be stored in Google’s vast network of massive server farms. Concerns have already been raised regarding data breaches and information leaks – May 07

Asia Pacific: Telstra estimates data leakage up to 500 cases
Data leakage is the single biggest IT security issue facing Telstra with up to 500 cases reviewed each year. “We are reviewing up to 500 cases at any given time,” he said. “The most common cause for leaks is employees slipping classified information to the media.” – July 07

You can download the new Global Security Report here.

Global Threat Report

David Brennan — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:09:00 GMT

Check out the first Workshare Global Security Threat
Report. It takes a fresh look at the information leak threats within
privacy, Intellectual Property, the mobile workforce and
corporate compliance.

With exploding amounts of data in circulation the risk of
information security breaches, leaks or loss has never been
higher than in today's digital world. So why are organizations
failing to take the appropriate measures when it comes to
privacy and corporate compliance?

Most organizations and industry commentators have focused their
attention on viruses, hackers and malicious information leaks.
They have largely ignored the real threats which are emerging
within the four key areas of privacy, Intellectual Property, the
mobile workforce and corporate compliance.

The volume of information, web 2.0, and mobility have are not
only creating cause for concern, but more and more leaks and
more scrutiny and consequence when the leaks do occur.

The Workshare Global Security Threat Report takes a fresh look at
the growing threat environment. Check it out here!