GDS Solution Empowers Users With Data Control

Global Data Sentinel (GDS) has designed a platform that CEO John-Philip Galinski says “puts data control back into the hands of the owner.” He describes the cybersecurity platform as a set of tools the end user can incorporate to manage data.

The platform addresses security at the data level, which gives users control on their own networks as well as across all domains. A feature of the platform that illustrates this functionality is the ability to control who sees your email and who may forward or copy it. The solution requires that the recipient download the GDS client (at no charge to the email recipient). GDS users then have the ability to see whether email has been forwarded, copied, or deleted, and they can also revoke email and attachments — from the original recipient or from the recipient of the forwarded message. One possible application for this feature is communication regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), but Galinski comments that any industry required to document that only the intended, authorized recipient can see the contents of the email would have interest in this functionality.

The GDS platform also encrypts data in transit or at rest; again ensuring only authorized users can access the information. Galinski points out, “With the level of protection it provides, even we can’t get into it.” The platform provides protection in the client’s network, in the cloud, or in a hybrid environment.

The platform also employs behavioral analysis to manage employee access to data within an organization. It tracks behavior and analyzed usage patterns — for example, how someone accesses, copies, or moves files. If the system detects a deviation from usual patterns — or a major anomaly such as a large number of files being copied — it can respond with a notice, with an alert to a manager, or by shutting down that employee’s account.

Galinski adds that in retail, where the solution has gained significant traction, marketing departments can also use behavioral analysis to learn how consumers respond to email marketing campaigns or what their behavior is before and after a sale.

“No two implementations are alike,” Galinski says.

Managed services providers can add the subscription-based solution as a value-add or as part of a security package. For more information on partnering with GDS, email partner@globaldatasentinel.com.