22 November, 2021

“Zero Trust” Document Security

ShareVault introduces the new standard for document security.

How secure are your online communications? In today’s world, we meet, display and exchange documents, write contracts, and conduct business entirely online on a daily basis. Many engagements are with employees, partners, and vendors in remote locations, a trend greatly accelerated by the pandemic.

How many people are working remotely? Gallup reports that as of May 2021, 52 percent of all workers - 72 percent of white-collar and 14 percent of blue-collar - are working remotely at least part of the week. For some professions, including finance and insurance, real estate, entertainment and the arts, life sciences, math, and computer-oriented fields, the percentages are in the 80’s.

The trend to remote working is likely to continue. According to a recent McKinsey study, 80 percent of workers enjoy working from home and 60 percent claim that they are as or more productive than when they worked in the office in pre-pandemic times. McKinsey forecasts that 38 percent of businesses will permanently implement hybrid working arrangements.

While the impact on work environments and commercial real estate are dramatic, global office vacancies will likely return to their pre-Covid peak levels in 2025, based on employment growth and the ongoing shift in the U.S. economy’s concentration in certain types of professional jobs.

Remote work creates security issues.

As the pandemic-induced shift to remote work becomes a permanent feature of work, what does that mean for the privacy of sensitive documents? As a team prepares a due diligence brief, litigation prep, clinical trial, or an investment strategy, documents are shared, often in a raw, work-in-progress form. The security of these documents is now subject to the security of a team member’s home office cyber security, which is rarely any better than that of a coffee shop.

Until now, businesses with the manpower and the intent to protect data and personnel have devised a range of tactics to ensure security, but each tactic has shortcomings:

Security Measure Plus Minus
Encrypted hard drives Protects stored files No protection for the company’s operating system or for files in transit
Active Directory and access controls: Restricts access Does not protect document content in archive or transit
Apps in the Cloud Protects the apps Lacks safeguards for files in transit
Content filters Secures SSN’s, contracts, and sensitive data Data in transit is not fully secure
Permission plug-ins Restricts access Needs updating with each iteration of the plug-in software
Data backups Secures archived docs Subject to backup server hacks

An easier way to protect work-in-progress documents.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a frictionless document security solution that addressed the shortcomings of these security measures, as well as protecting document files while they are still “works in progress”? Fortunately, ShareVault provides just such a solution: Dynamic Native File Protection (DNFP).

ShareVault Dynamic Native File Protection secures works in progress.

ShareVault Dynamic Native File Protection (DNFP) is specifically designed to protect documents that are in development. Document protection is based on a set of permissions: based on the user’s ID, and the user’s device ID.

DNFP provides protection for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Cadence, and other productivity and design documents while they are in development and when they are shared – anywhere in the world. DNFP encryptions work for any device - desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets.

DNFP provides security for two documents sharing scenarios:

Static/View Only Mode: “View Only” documents be shared in a ShareVault VDR, such as current and archived corporate financials, board communications, and HR files. The VDR administrator controls access to these documents and can shred documents when a user’s status changes.

Dynamic/Document Edit Mode: ShareVault’s new DNFP software protects documents that are in progress, as they are being generated as well as when they are shared in collaboration. The DNFP administrator invites users to install DNFP and then authorizes each user’s access and devices. The administrator can put a time limit on access, revoke authorization at any time, and can shred documents on a user’s devices even after the user has left the team.

Adding DNFP security is smart and easy.

  1. Log in to sharevault.net from any internet-enabled browser
  2. Import a list of the email addresses of workers you want to authorize for access
  3. Set permissions, such as static (read-only) or dynamic (ability to alter a file in a native application like Word, Excel, Google Docs, etc.)
  4. Invite selected workers by email to install the DNFP encryption agent on their device(s)
  5. Get to work: protected files can now be opened on any authorized devices.

With DNFP, non-authorized users and non-enabled devices cannot open shared files. Your DNFP administrator can revoke any or all permissions for users, devices, or groups.

Benefits of ShareVault Dynamic Native File Protection.

No learning curve: Team members don’t change their behavior at all! In fact, they wouldn’t even know the document is protected by ShareVault DNFP unless they try to open the file from an unauthorized device, or if an unauthorized person tries to log into the file

Works on any authorized device: DNFP works seamlessly on desktops, laptops, tablets, and both iOS and Android mobile devices, as long as the user has been authorized for that device

Protects any files: DNFP protects files regardless of how they are stored or shared – by email, Skype, Slack, DropBox, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and more

No file size limits: From an 87k Word doc to a massive CAD file, DNFP provides total protection

No complex installation: DNFP automatically installs at the computing operating system level – no IT team involvement is necessary. DNFP is cloud-based, so all remote workers can access via the sharevault.net interface

No application update interruptions: DNFP software updates are installed automatically, requiring no actions by the user

Loss and theft-proof: your administrator can instantly turn off access to files when an employee or contractor exits, or if a device is stolen

Hacking and Ransomware protection: DNFP files require an authorized user or an authorized device, effectively blocking any third-party attempts to hijack a file

The only Dynamic Native File Protection available: ShareVault is the first software firm to offer Dynamic Native File Protection!

ShareVault’s Virtual Data Room protects archived documents.

Every major presentation requires access, retrieval, and sharing of sensitive documents. ShareVault’s virtual data room (VDR), is the industry’s best protection for archiving and sharing read-only documents. With ShareVault, multiple parties can correspond, collaborate, access, and file documents in a fully secure environment. The ShareVault platform accommodates a wide range of interfaces and plug-ins and works seamlessly with DocuSign, Dropbox, Office 365, AutoCAD, Cadence, and other popular business applications.

Among the documents protected by ShareVault’s Secure Document Sharing:

  • Due Diligence, the investigatory process prior to purchase or merger of a company
  • Common Technical Document, the pharmaceutical industry’s format for submission of new drug applications to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory authorities
  • Corporate Repository, where a corporation houses its documents and critical materials
  • Digital Rights Management (DRM), a system for protecting mass-produced digital media from unlawful or unwanted copying or distribution
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), where collaborators use cloud-based document sharing of property and title documents, valuation analytics and other transaction details
  • Clinical Research Organizations (CRO’s) documents, including lab results, trial data, and patient HIPAA-secure records
  • Medical Device development
  • Patent Litigation
  • Investor Communications
  • Corporate and Organization Boards of Directors

How to ensure security throughout the document lifecycle.

The combination of ShareVault’s new Dynamic Native File Protection and our VDR environment radically reduce the risk of security breaches throughout the document lifecycle, with robust protection for both archived and in-progress files.

To add Dynamic Native File Protection to your online environment:

  • DNFP is now a standard feature in the ShareVault Enterprise Subscription Plan
  • Choose DNFP as an option in a ShareVault Pro Data Room Plan
  • Purchase DNFP as a stand-alone package

ShareVault: Focus on your business, not the software!

With ShareVault, your confidential business files and collaborative efforts will be afforded maximum protection, including Dynamic Native File Protection. And, as an online cloud-based platform, users can access ShareVault anytime, from anywhere, any hour of the day, from any device, without any involvement of your IT team.

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