Protecting Your Data from Trusted Intruders

Trusted individuals pose the biggest threat to data security - see how Ice³ Online Collaboration throws a Curtain of Secrecy over your data.

Working securely online is not just about what you are able to share and exchange with your clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders, it is also about how you manage information you don't want to share.

Ice³ Online Collaboration is leading UK-based business application for daily communication, collaboration, and document sharing.

It has a number of key features which enable you to protect your online client data - it provides ways to circumscribe or completely restrict access to your clients' information.

There are, of course, a number of security measures that we take to secure the servers where you data is held, but we won't deal with those matters here. Rather, let's look at those folks who seek to access information while using Ice³ Online Collaboration or who seek to access information through Ice³ Online Collaboration.

Limited Access

Sometimes it is good to give folks limited access to information - and that is why Ice³ Online Collaboration has developed a range of user privileges accounts including our unique 'Read Only' user accounts which enable folks to view information without altering it.  Find out more...

The Curtain of Secrecy

More often than not, however, you want to completely preclude TRUSTED individuals from accessing your clients' data.

For example, one client using Ice³ should not have access to the data belonging to another.  One of your employees should not have access to data in Work Spaces to which he or she has not been given access - although they may have full access to other Work Spaces.

How does Ice³ parcel up access like this?

It does so via a security policy we call the 'Curtain of Secrecy'.

Here are the main elements of this policy.

The Presumption of Denial

At its heart, Ice³ is miserly with access.  If someone has not been given explicit access to a Work Space where the sought-after information is found, then Ice³ automatically denies access.

What does this mean in practice? Consider this scenario.

An intruder is an employee who has valid access to Ice³ but wants to view a document within a Work Space to which they don't have access.

Firstly, because they don't have access to the Work Space, they can't 'see' it when they log in.  So, they decide to find out the web address of the document they are after via other means.

Even assuming they can find out the web address of the document, because Ice³ only provides resources to those who have explicit permission (remember, it is miserly), then - even if the intruder is logged in to Ice³ - it will prohibit them from accessing the document - typing the correct web address in the browser will not provide access to the resource.

The Presumption of Secrecy

Ice³ not only blocks access to resources (documents, etc) to which someone doesn't have explicit access, it also throws a curtain of secrecy over these resources, and the people who use them.

So, as I have mentioned earlier, when someone logs into Ice³ he/she will be unable to see/view any Work Spaces (and the resources they contain) to which they do not have access.  It is as if these Work Spaces do not exist.

In addition, the user will not be able to see/view the details of other users on Ice³ Online Collaboration with whom he/she does not share a Work Space.
For example, they won't be able to find the contact details of your key clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders through Ice³. There is no way for them to know who is using Ice³ among your clients, etc.

Conclusion

Ice³ Online Collaboration recognises that effective online collaboration and information exchange is not just about sharing information, but is also about preventing the sharing of information as well.

Through its 'Curtain of Secrecy' policy, it provides rock solid protection for all your clients' data, and even allows you to prevent access to that data from TRUSTED users of the system who shouldn't have access to it.

Contact us to discuss further how Ice³ can help protect your company's business communications.

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