UPDATED 14:30 EST / NOVEMBER 04 2015

NEWS

Dropbox taps Vera to keep files secure even after they move off its platform

The rapid growth in the amount of data moving outside the corporate firewall represents only the start of CIOs’ security woes. The real problem emerges when a worker downloads sensitive documents from their cloud locker without permission or makes a folder accessible to an unvetted third party, which creates an opening for hackers to move the files somewhere beyond the reach of organizational control mechanisms. That’s the scenario Dropbox Inc. hopes to avoid with its latest partnership.

The company has expanded its existing support for Vera Inc.’s data governance software to offer joint customers the ability to remotely delete files that have been transferred from its platform to an external destination. The latter facilities that using a tagging system that attaches a small amount of metadata to every file upon its departure from the corporate network to act as a sort of virtual tracker.

veraThe technology enables administrators to track documents through every step of their journey and immediately shut off access when something tries to access a particular file from an unauthorized location. That functionality is particularly appealing to companies in regulated industries that not only have to protect against data theft but also verifiably demonstrate to regulators that they’re doing so to the degree expected of them by law, a segment that the partnership with Vera will help Dropbox target much more convincingly.

The announcement of the collaboration not coincidentally comes only a few weeks after sworn rival Box Inc. announced an almost identical collaboration with the data governance startup focused on the same privacy-conscious audience. The fact that both of the biggest names in cloud synchronization are now actively endorsing its  service is unlikely to go unnoticed by other providers interested in making their platforms more secure, which should translate into yet more partnership opportunities for Vera down the line.

photo credit: procsilas via photopin cc

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