The NextLabs High Tech Manufacturing solution enables businesses to::
Prevent Conflicts of Interest. Control internal information flow to avoid improper communication and collaboration that results in compliance violations.
Maintain internal boundaries across the organization. Improve efficiency and reduce errors with consistent controls across applications and systems where data is communicated, distributed, and stored.
Apply identity to determine who can collaborate. Enforce fine-grained policies to ensure only authorized users can share specific information under appropriate context internally.
Automate user education and workflow procedures. Assist users to handle data internally with proper discretion by simplifying workflow, and avoid unintended misuse or data loss.
Fully audit and report internal information disclosure. Monitor activities, discover risks, and remediate gaps to prove compliance with information barriers.
Identify, control and audit the flow of Intellectual Property and client information to ensure continuous innovation, operational excellence, and compliant, non-disclosure processes.
High-tech manufacturing firms operate in a global environment with offshore operations, value chain partners and clients. Safe and secure collaboration in product development and supply chain is needed to maintain continuous innovation, operational excellence, and compliant, non-disclosure processes to meet contractual obligations, assure client confidence, and strengthen value chain partnerships.
With collaboration, sensitive information may be communicated through such tools as e-mail and web-conferencing, but also nonsecure public communications tools such as Web e-mail and personal instant messaging.
This information contains intellectual property such as designs or production processes, investments in research, future generation product specs or technical data that exposes development and competitive strategy, or financial or pricing data that may cause volatility in the company's stock. This information may also include confidential or intellectual property of the client or customer.
Collaboration strategies benefit high-tech firms through increased productivity and economies of scale, yet companies struggle to find ways to communicate with partners and customers quickly and effectively without endangering this valuable intellectual property.
Industry Applications
NextLabs High Technology Industry solutions address intellectual property risks in the high tech industry. These applications feature pre-built policy libraries and reports. Policy sets can be easily customized to the environment or used as templates to create new policies. The solutions include:
Intellectual Property Protection
Prevent users from distributing client intellectual property outside of the client's project team (including local design teams and extended partner teams).
Allow trade secrets, product specifications, and source code to be saved only on an encrypted or approved file server directories and portal sites, or in a My Documents encrypted folder designated for the project.
When projects are completed, automatically archive project files, and use approved secure deletion tools to clean project team desktops
Endpoint Data Loss Prevention
Prevent users from duplicating (copy, print, upload, etc.) strategic product plans off of company desktops--that is, allow copying within the network only.
Allow only approved personnel (such as project managers) to copy client intellectual property to removable media, and to company-approved USB devices; and automatically encrypt the data.
When devices are mobile or disconnected from the network, block all file duplication and any use of public communications applications to distribute confidential files.
Export Control for Technical Data
Prevent duplication of ITAR/EAR-controlled design data outside of defined PDM systems, repositories, and access locations.
Allow CAD/CAM designs to be e-mailed only to recipients who are part of a specific project, maintain current ITAR certification, and have US citizenship.
Whenever project designs are exported, initiate a license approval workflow.
