Bitglass Protects Enterprises From Security and Compliance Risks of "Shadow IT"

CAMPBELL, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 30, 2014) - Bitglass, the Total Data Protection company, today announced Bitglass Cloud Discovery, a free service that dynamically analyzes an enterprise's risk of data leakage from employees' use of unauthorized cloud applications, also known as Shadow IT. This new service enables enterprises to identify which cloud apps employees are using, identify suspicious and high-risk activity, and use the information as part of an ongoing program to achieve compliance and boost security. Cloud Discovery is part of the Bitglass Total Data Protection Suite, the industry's only holistic offering, protecting corporate data on the network, in the cloud, at access and on mobile devices.

"Bitglass already offers unique technologies for tracking and securing sensitive data outside the corporate network. The addition of Cloud Discovery completes the Bitglass Total Data Protection Suite, creating the industry's first offering to protect corporate data on the network, in the cloud, at access and on mobile devices," said Shawn Anderson, CISO, Cyber Security Expert, and Speaker.

Employees adopt Shadow IT -- such as file sharing and collaboration applications -- out of a desire to innovate when IT departments do not move quickly enough to meet their needs. According to recent studies, 35 percent of employees feel they need to work around a security measure or protocol to be able to do their work efficiently. But while Shadow IT can lead to innovation in the business, it has a dark side: the threat of non-compliance with regulations and a loss of data security.

Adrian Sanabria, senior security analyst for 451 Research, said, "Though some downplay the role of the discovery phase in securing SaaS use, I believe this high-level visibility is an essential first step in the planning process. Once aware of the details of SaaS use within the enterprise, tools like Cloud Discovery can help assess the related risk. The next step is to develop granular SaaS policies that control and protect cloud data, and to gain visibility into cloud usage to maintain security and compliance."

Bitglass Cloud Discovery allows enterprises to protect themselves from the security and compliance risks associated with unauthorized cloud app adoption. In contrast with existing solutions, which are signature-based and rely on manually collected information, Bitglass operates a risk engine that continuously scans the Internet for changes to cloud applications and calculates the associated risks. Enterprises simply upload firewall or proxy logs to the service and receive a full analysis of their employees' adoption of Shadow IT at the workplace and the data security risks involved. Comprehensive reports categorize cloud apps in use by functional area and list their risk scores. CISOs, CIOs and compliance officers can use these reports as part of an ongoing program to achieve compliance and boost security, safely enabling the cloud apps required by the business.

"In light of the daily drumbeat of data breaches in healthcare, financial services and other industries involving sensitive information, enterprises must protect themselves against leakage of corporate data through unauthorized cloud applications," said Nat Kausik, CEO of Bitglass. "Bitglass Cloud Discovery brings Shadow IT into the light so organizations can see what's going on and take appropriate action."

Availability
The Bitglass Cloud Discovery service is available today free of charge for log files up to 1GB. Unlimited use is available for Bitglass Total Data Protection Suite Mobile Edition, Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition customers.

Supporting Resources
Bitglass Discovery Free: http://pages.bitglass.com/cloud-discovery-wp-free-trial.html
Bitglass Discovery Datasheet: http://pages.bitglass.com/bitglass-cloud-discovery-datasheet.html
Press Release URL: http://www.bitglass.com/company/news/press_releases/cloud-discovery-tames-shadow-it

About Bitglass
Bitglass (bitglass.com) delivers innovative technologies that transcend the network perimeter to deliver total data protection for the enterprise -- in the cloud, on mobile devices, on the network and anywhere on the Internet. Bitglass was founded in 2013 by a team of industry veterans with a proven track record of innovation and execution. Bitglass is based in Silicon Valley.