Engineering drawings in the form of dwg and dwf files form some of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property (IP) for engineering and manufacturing companies. Given the collaborative nature of most of the design initiatives, these drawings are exchanged not only between different collaborating groups within the organization but also with external collaborators like sub-contractors, customers and vendors. With increasing collaboration in the value chain, the threat of these AutoCAD files reaching unintended recipients has been constantly increasing over time. Security of these AutoCAD dwg and dwf files post distribution is an area of concern for many organizations for a long time now.
Seclore, an ADN partner of Autodesk has solved this problem by extending its state-of-the-art Information Rights Management (IRM) system to protect AutoCAD files within and outside of the organization.
The Seclore FileSecure extension for AutoCAD provides IRM capability to dwg and dwf files. The IRM capability provides persistent protection to dwg and dwf files while maintaining all the rich functionality of the native AutoCAD application. This ensures that there is no change in user experience.
The Seclore FileSecure extension for AutoCAD provides control over
WHO can use the AutoCAD files i.e. people / groups within or outside of the enterprise
WHAT can each person do with the AutoCAD files i.e. read / edit / print / distribute / copy / ...
WHEN can each person access the AutoCAD files i.e. within certain dates, within a timespan, ...
WHERE can the AutoCAD files be accessed from i.e. specific computers, within the office, ..
The controls are persistent with the information and are implemented irrespective of the location of the information (within or outside of the enterprise) or its method of transmission (email, cd, ftp, …). The controls can also be changed post distribution e.g. AutoCAD drawings can be remotely destroyed at the end of the collaboration activity. Thus providing protection to dwg and dwf files when stored, in transit and when in use.
Some of the salient features of Seclore FileSecure’s AutoCAD connector are-
1. Attach Policies To Individual Pieces Of Information
There are various events which can "attach" IRM policies to dwg or dwf files and thereby provide security to AutoCAD files.
AutoCAD files can be protected:
As soon as it is created based on a user driven prompts or predefined settings
As soon as it is placed in a certain location e.g. folders / file shares
As soon as it is attached to an email
As soon as it is uploaded to a document management system (DMS) / Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system.
As soon as it is "discovered" or "tagged" by a content discovery or a DLP system,
2. Remotely Control Usage Of The Policy anytime, anyplace in real time
One of the salient features of Seclore’s IRM technology is that protected AutoCAD files can be secured and controlled for usage independent of its location or mode of transport. Using the IRM policies attached to the AutoCAD files, Seclore FileSecure ensures that usage of the information is in compliance to the policies.The policy attached to the information can be even changed post distribution i.e. the "owner" can change WHO / WHAT / WHEN / WHERE without requesting or resending the information to the recipients.
3. Audit The Usage Of The Information.
AutoCAD drawings secured with Seclore FileSecure can not only be controlled for usage, it can also be audited! WHO used the information, WHAT did he/she do, WHEN & WHERE is captured from distributed usage environments and reported centrally. These audit reports can be sliced and diced using a report builder and can be used in compliance reporting for frameworks like ISO 27001, Sarbanes Oxley, GLBA, PCI DSS & HIPA
IRM Introduction to AutoCAD
Benefits And ROI
Seclore FileSecure connector for AutoCADprovides the client with persistent end-to-end security for AutoCAD files through the life cycle of creation, storage, transmission, usage and destruction. Documents owners have full control over the usage of their dwg or dwf files which are protected by Seclore FileSecure, along with complete audit trailing of how they are being used. Dynamic rights management allowed for centralized revocation of rights based on status changes.
In a nutshell, Seclore FileSecure allows enterprises to achieve the "mutually conflicting" goals of security and collaboration by breaking down traditional tenets of information security via distribution control using Rights Management for AutoCAD design documents (dwg and dwf files).
