Vitrium Systems

When discussing digital rights management, most people immediately think of musicians and movie studios leveraging it to protect their published content and avoid piracy. However, as a recent Baseline report noted, the technology is no longer just for Hollywood.

These days, many private-sector organizations have deployed document rights management – a similar security measure that practices the same principles of control and access restrictions.

"The appeal of DRM is that it allows an organization to manage and control intellectual property. It’s possible to control who views a file, authenticate a user and establish limits on time for offline capabilities," the news provider stated.

With such capabilities, a company can safeguard its mission-critical information against everything from insider leaks to malicious network intrusions.

The organizations that are embracing these document protection solutions range from law firms and healthcare providers looking to secure protected data to academic institutions striving to protect intellectual property, according to Baseline.

Protecting intellectual property must be a top priority for U.S. organizations. If the issue of IP theft is ignored, a recent Forbes report warned, the country stands to lose about $300 billion by 2018 – or about 1.7 of the economy's gross domestic product.

More companies will prioritize the control over their intellectual property this year in an effort to avoid costly data breaches and other forms of information loss, according to London-based independent researcher Kevin Wharram.

The main problem is people are using more connected devices and enjoying greater access to information than ever before. This is nothing new, Wharram said, but will be an issue that companies will tackle during the coming year.

"It's not like suddenly, because there's a new year, there's going to be new problems – we're going to have the same problems we've had in previous years," he said.

In 2012, however, companies – from executives and senior managers to the IT department – will focus more of their efforts on preventing incidents. That could mean that document protection will become a more popular tool, as the software allows an organization to restrict access to certain information.

On a similar note, a report published by solutions provider Varonis in December predicted that 2012 would be the year when organizations "take back control over their data."

Many healthcare organizations believe that governing the access to and use of confidential information is more difficult when employees use mobile devices, according to a new survey from Panasonic. That suggests that more of these organizations could benefit from document protection solutions.

Specifically, 66 percent of respondents feel consumer tablets especially make it more difficult to practice proper and effective governance. Other concerns include the security of information on the devices, as well as their durability and ability to comply with electronic health record mandates.

"Consumer-grade technology, like the iPad and many of the other tablets we see entering the market today, were not designed to operate or survive in commercial environments like healthcare," Panasonic's Greg Davidson, executive business development manager, said.

But a document protection solution can allow the devices to remain a viable option. That's because access to certain information can be restricted, ensuring that documents and other files are not viewed and used inappropriately.

Currently, the health IT sector is going through rapid and drastic change, which, according to ID Experts, is causing many providers to prioritize compliance and the security of information this year.

Among the reasons the cloud has become such a highly touted enterprise technology is because much of the responsibility for maintaining data is shifted from the company to the vendor. However, as a recent Digital Trends report stated, the former still has a role to play in the protection of information.

Even though data may reside on a vendor's server, the task of safeguarding it is largely left up to the company. That suggests the need for a document protection solution, which will ensure that the ability to open certain files and documents – even those in the cloud – is restricted.

Digital Trends audited the Terms of Service of many well-known cloud services providers, and found that many do not guarantee the protection of hosted data. So it's up to the company to ensure the necessary steps are taken.

Concerns over cloud security continue to hold back the adoption of hosted technologies. What's more, organizations often worry over the loss of control they feel when information is stored on vendors' servers.

A contract programmer who recently worked for the Federal Reserve Bank has been charged by the FBI for stealing source code for the U.S. Department of Treasury's Government-Wide Accounting and Reporting Program. The FBI recently unsealed its complaint against Bo Zhang.

"As today’s case demonstrates, our cyber infrastructure is vulnerable not only to cybercriminals and hackers, but also alleged thieves like Bo Zhang who used his position as a contract employee to steal government intellectual property," Manhattan-based U.S. attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

Zhang admitted to stealing the information and using it as a training tool for a business he runs on the side. If convicted, the 32-year-old resident of Queens, New York, could face up to 10 years in prison.

Intellectual property is a crucial asset for any organization, which is why experts say steps must be taken to protect it. For example, the deployment of a document protection solution will limit access to certain information to only trusted and authorized personnel. That will prevent IP from being stolen by those inside or outside the organization.

With the rise of e-books and e-readers, it is clear that consumers are embracing digital formats for their media consumption. The trend also has ZDNet contributor Christopher Dawson questioning if all textbooks will one day be published digitally.

It doesn't seem likely for the foreseeable future, Dawson said. He argued that publishers still need to work out a few kinks, not the least of which is the need for a compromise on digital rights management, before such formats overtake the textbook market.

"We still have yet to come up with a good way to handle licensing of this new breed of textbooks," Dawson wrote. "As someone who has signed on the dotted line for more than my share of school resources, I can tell you that buying a set of books for every student makes no sense economically or logistically."

Though there are challenges, Dawson agreed that more of a focus on digital content is needed in the classroom in order to teach children in the information age.

But the protection of intellectual property can't be overlooked, experts agree. Publishers must use DRM responsibly to both promote a new era of learning while preventing illegal and inappropriate distribution of materials.

In comparing the level of security of mobile devices to common objects, Network World contributor Kathy Kriese recently asked enterprise users if their smartphone is a safe or a suitcase.

Kriese gave the example of going on a trip.

"If you were packing for a trip and needed to take reams of documents with personal data, such as bank statements and medical bills, would you rather put them in a suitcase or a safe?" she asked. The latter is more secure, but the former is a more reasonable option.

To solve the problem, Kriese said, companies should instead look to protect the information itself with a document security solution. That way it will remain safe no matter where it travels or on which devices it is accessed, the report stated. Losing a smartphone or laptop may cost the company hundreds of dollars, she said, but misplacing data could push the figure into the tens of thousands.

Consumerization is another factor leading to a greater need for document security, according to ZDNet contributor Adam Powers. Protection is needed at the document level because employees are constantly circumventing corporate policies to send and receive information.

Companies can do all they can to protect their networks and information from outside threats, but in the process they can't forget about the risks posed by their own employees.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute for Experian's Data Breach Resolution service, insiders are a serious problem for information security. In fact, 34 percent of respondents said employee negligence is a leading cause of breaches. Nineteen percent said the transmission of information to third parties was a major vulnerability, and 16 percent blamed malicious insiders.

Restricting access to information through document protection and similar solutions may solve this problem. In doing so, a data leak or breach may be less likely, experts say.

Other results from the Ponemon study found that 66 percent of respondents believe they will continue to be vulnerable to incidents because of the negligence of insiders.

A December report from CloudTweaks also addressed the risks posed by insiders. According to the news provider, information is often leaked when employees accidentally send files or documents to incorrect recipients.

Companies work too hard and invest too much in developing intellectual property to see it stolen or leaked to the public. That's why, according to a recent report from the Business Journals, organizations should be taking steps to secure and protect such information.

After all, intellectual property expert Vanessa Pierce Rollins said, there's little incentive to develop works and content that is free for the taking.

"Especially in producing something such as a blockbuster movie or a new drug, something that takes a lot of investment and years of work, if a competitor was to come along and freely take that work, what incentive would there be to produce it?" Rollins, an IP law and policy counsel for the Intellectual Property Owners Association, told the news provider.

In the case of files and records containing sensitive information, companies are encouraged to utilize a document protection solution, which makes it easy to determine who can access sensitive data and through which devices it may be viewed.

According to experts, such measures will go a long way in keeping the information protected and out of the wrong hands.

The growth of mobile security practices apparently haven't coincided with increased use of smartphones and tablets, a new report from the National Cybersecurity Alliance has revealed.

In interviewing nearly 1,200 mobile users, the nonprofit found that 75 percent are aware of mobile security threats. However, many aren't taking the appropriate steps to safeguard their devices, as well as the information they access and store on them.

That comes as bad news for companies whose employees are increasingly utilizing smartphones and tablets on a daily basis.

"Smartphones can be convenient, fun and useful – but they also collect personal information that can be hacked, lost or misused," said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. "That is why we encourage all digital citizens to take an active role in learning safe practices and behaviors."

But companies can take that a step further by deploying a document security solution. That will ensure that enterprise information and intellectual property will remain protected no matter which devices access it and how it is utilized.