According to Mountain View-based company G-71, in a professional environment, three leaks out of four come from people who had legal access to the document. More precisely, those documents are compromised in a specific way: by the leaker taking a photo or a screenshot of the document in question. Such an ordeal can prove fatal to small businesses. Consequently, the InfoSec company created a new device, LeaksID designed to tackle this specific risk.
How does LeaksID work?
In order to avoid this kind of data theft, G-71 created a virtual fingerprint. The idea is that each person gaining access to a document would receive a personalized copy containing unique and invisible anti-leak marks. They consist in micro-changes that are only visible to the LeaksID algorithm and saved in meta-data. Thus, the original documents are never really shared, as each person requesting access receives a copy that is their own.
In order to achieve that goal, G-71 launched a cloud data room. Each document shared on that platform is made unique through the application of the LeaksID solution. Thus, sensitive data can still be shared. But tracking down people who may have retrieved and shared copies without authorization becomes easier.
LeaksID can also be implemented on-site. It makes no difference to users, as the system is transparent. It can work with many corporate systems. The result will be the same as with the cloud option. Each worker would get access to a personalized copy of the corporate document they need to work with. Thus, even in a corporate office, the theft of documents will become way harder.
Can’t LeaksID prevent data theft?
There is no way to stop someone from using their phone to take a picture of a document or screenshot it. Yet, with LeaksID, you can find out quickly and easily who is at the origin of the leak. You only need to upload fragments of the leaked document to the LeaksID built-in investigation module and it will identify the person at its origin.
In a way, LeaksID prevents data theft because it works as a deterrent. As people know that each copy of a document they work with is personalized, they also know that each breach would be investigated and led directly back to them. However, staff should also be informed about this technology being used. Any companies interested in such solutions should also check with their legal department in what regions such a practice would be legal and in which economic zones this could be a problem.
YouTube: LeaksID Promo Video 2022
Photo credit: All media shown are owned by G71 and have been provided as part of a press kit.
