Keeping track of sensitive corporate data is a challenge that companies of all sizes face on a daily basis. To help IT managers cope with this data sprawl, San Diego, Calif.-based Websense Inc. has launched Websense Data Discover — a tool aimed at identifying confidential data and where it resides throughout the enterprise.
“We’ve found that not all companies know where their information resides, whether it’s critical or non-critical data,” said Fiaaz Walji, country manager at Websense Canada. “So, maybe the data you are looking for is an alphanumerical combination of seven digits and four letters. All you have to do is indicate what you are looking for, and the tool will search for it.”
Websense said Data Discovery can identify data in any location and any form, including structured data such as social security and credit card numbers, and unstructured data such as marketing plans or proprietary formulas.
Websense Data Discover is available as a standalone tool or as part of the Websense Data Security Suite 6.5.
Using the software, IT managers can indicate what type of data they want to monitor as well as what kind of data movement should trigger a security alert. Walji said that unlike other security solutions, Data Discovery as part of the Data Security Suite works to add contextual intelligence to its data reports. “So somebody moving information in HR may not be a red flag,” Walji said. “But somebody in HR moving personal data through their personal e-mail to a malicious Web site will be a warning. This added information is what separates our product from the others.”
The discovery tool uses fingerprinting technology to allow companies to identify and seek out the type of information they need. “For instance, if you’re a design firm, CAD drawings would probably be important to you,” Walji said. “Because you don’t want your drawings moving around unchecked, you can tell the tool to look for CAD drawings and report back where they reside.”