BlackBerry Ltd. today announced a host of new changes for WatchDox, its secure file management platform. In addition to Sync and Share integration for Salesforce.com and Microsoft Office Online, the company is also introducing a new offering called WatchDox by BlackBerry Email Protector. This new feature will provide enterprises with the means to secure files sent via email even after it has left the organization’s firewall.

“The emergence of cloud services as core components of business infrastructure is changing the way organizations need to approach security. WatchDox protects the new borderless enterprise by delivering not only the most secure EFSS File Sync and Share solutions but enhanced integration with Salesforce.com and the new BlackBerry Email Protector,” said Billy Ho, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Product and Value Added Solutions, BlackBerry in a statement. 

WatchDox, which was acquired by BlackBerry in April 2015, offers cross-platform technology for enterprise employees to manage and share files securely. Users can access, share and collaborate on sensitive files on all devices while content remains secure even when it is shared outside of the organization. WatchDox is available for Mac OS X, Windows PC, Android, iOS and BlackBerry 10 devices.

Here is a look at the new changes that will be available for WatchDox users.

Advanced security for email attachments

The new offering from WatchDox is Email Protector, which applies Digital Rights Management (DRM) automatically to any email attachments being sent through the organization’s email gateway. “The risk of data loss is significantly minimized by encrypting and enforcing DRM protection at the file-level when users are viewing, editing and annotating synced documents, no matter on which side of the firewall those documents travel,” says Ho.

The email attachments are then placed in an IT-controlled WatchDox repository while the file in the email is replaced with a download link. Administrators have control over whether to protect or exempt certain users, file types or entire domains. In addition, Email Protector also integrates with email Data Loss Prevention (DLP) so if it identifies an email being sent has sensitive business information contained in it, DRM security will automatically be embedded into the attachment prior to leaving the firewall.  

Salesforce integration

Enterprises using Salesforce now get to enjoy the WatchDox features, including storage, sharing, collaboration, and security, directly in Salesforce. With customizable access controls, enterprises can set certain files to expire or access to be revoked at any time.

WatchDox for Web gets Office Online integration

With the integration with Office Online, users will be able to view, edit and version their documents all while remaining in the web browser. All saved changes are stored as a new version and automatically synced with WatchDox.

Easy upload for Windows users

Windows PC users can now upload any file, on internal or external storage, directly to their WatchDox workspace or subfolder. If during the upload of a large file, the Windows user needs to step away and resume the download later, WatchDox will remember where it left off and be able to resume the download. (Available for Windows 7, 8 and 10.)

Advanced authentication features

BlackBerry is also introducing the ability for system administrators to customize timeout periods for specific users, groups or applications. For example, external parties who have access to the same documents as internal employees may need to re-authenticate daily, while the system administrator can customize the timeout period for internal employees to only re-authenticate weekly.  

Online viewer rebuild introduces new design and user experiences

WatchDox for Web’s online viewer has been rebuilt in HTML5 and now allows users to create, review and share annotations with other contributors. Various contributors can then correspond on any device.

Increased productivity within Microsoft Outlook

WatchDox for Microsoft Outlook has been upgraded to include the same consolidated view of all sent and received files that WatchDox offers, within the Outlook interface. Outlook users will also be able to create, version, protect and share files up to 10 GB in size.

Customized permission profiles

WatchDox is also introducing the ability for system administrators to create customized permission profiles for unique user workflows. These profiles will then be available for use by end-users when sharing files. The update provides an organization with the flexibility to control how the users are engaging with files and confidence that the correct security settings are being applied to various scenarios.  

Custom application workspaces for developers

WatchDox has introduced a private storage space for third-party application developers, allowing them to make use of the platform’s security, mobility, sharing and synchronization capabilities.

Both the WatchDox by BlackBerry Email Protector and Salesforce integration is available from today. While the Microsoft Outlook plugin will launch in the upcoming weeks.

Image credit: Perspecsys Photos; Flickr