Cybersecurity specialist GuardWare has announced the launch of GuardWare PROTECT Design, the first solution globally to provide continuous, in-use encryption for detailed engineering and design data.
While conventional data security tools typically focus on common file types like Office documents and PDFs, they often overlook complex, unstructured formats such as CAD models, design schematics, and source code. These assets hold some of the highest commercial value, yet frequently remain exposed.
Sharing technical files with external suppliers is a routine part of the manufacturing and engineering process, but it carries a substantial risk of intellectual property theft—something existing security technologies have struggled to prevent effectively. According to a joint report from the Office of Cyber Security & Information Assurance and intelligence specialists Detica, IP theft costs UK organisations an estimated £9.2 billion every year.
GuardWare PROTECT Design has been developed to directly address this long-standing vulnerability, ensuring that valuable design data remains encrypted even while it is being actively worked on, not just stored or sent.
- Persistent encryption, while in use: In a global first, PROTECT Design ensures that complex files, such as CAD drawings and source code, remain fully encrypted even while open and in use. Whether data is stolen, hacked, or maliciously copied by a trusted insider, it remains unreadable and useless.
- Data destruction remote kill switch: Data owners now have the power to instantly revoke access and destroy any design file, regardless of where it has been sent throughout the supply chain. This provides an unprecedented level of control for IP owners, ensuring IP owners maintain control at all times.
- Complete visibility and audit trail: The platform provides IP owners with a complete, non-repudiable audit trail, tracking every action taken on a file. This includes who accessed it, on what device, and when, providing unparalleled visibility and control over sensitive data as it moves through the supply chain.
