CloudLock Secures Google Docs Data In Cloud 'Vault'

CloudLock unveiled Vault Tuesday at the Google I/O conference. It is available May 12 within CloudLock's flagship CloudLock for Google Apps.

According to CloudLock, CloudLock Vault is a cloud security application that offers a secure, tamper-proof location natively within Google Docs to ensure critical information isn't misused or deleted.

The launch comes on the heels of CloudLock ditching its previous persona and changing its name from Aprigo, and deep-sixing its on-premise offerings to focus solely on cloud computing. In a letter to customers, CEO Gil Zimmerman called the move a "pivot" the company needed to make as the market shifted to more cloud-based offerings.

As Google Apps infiltrates SMBs and enterprises for productivity and collaboration, it has also become a document and file store for many users. In essence, Google Apps has become a cloud-based file server that functions as if it were on-premise. However, it lacks some of the data and cloud security controls that documents require, Zimmerman said.

According to Zimmerman, CloudLock Vault is a secure storage area in Google Docs where files cannot be deleted or modified. Users create or upload files into the CloudLock Deposit Box and they are automatically moved to a special account where they are protected from modification or deletion. Zimmermann said this type of functionality is critical to data retention initiatives as companies seek to comply with data security standards like HIPAA, SOX and others.

The application adds centralized data retention policy management, makes files viewable and searchable and attaches an audit trail to documents. Users can set policies around how the vault behaves. For example, users can dictate who has access to what files, who has change rights and other access details. Organizations can facilitate processes and workflows to streamline data retention policies; preserve and retain data for specific projects and departments; and collect and retain documents from multiple locations on Google Docs into a single repository.

CloudLock Vault is the latest addition to Waltham, Mass.-based CloudLock's cloud data protection portfolio.

The company's products integrate with cloud applications, like Google Apps and soon Microsoft Office 365, to offer visibility and management capabilities. It provides visibility for cloud-based data. With Google, for example, CloudLock's SaaS leverages Google's API, runs on Google App Engine and is part of the Google Apps Marketplace. By collecting meta-data from customer's Google Apps domain, CloudLock offers control into all documents across all users and allows organizations to identify, monitor and protect exposed data; change permissions; migrate data; generate change and history reports; and comply with regulatory compliance and e-discovery requirements.