NSW, AUSTRALIA. October 31st 2025 – Cybersecurity innovator, GuardWare, today announced the launch of GuardWare PROTECT Design, a globally unique solution that delivers persistent, in-use encryption for complex engineering and design files.
While most security solutions focus on standard formats, such as Microsoft Office documents or PDFs, high-value unstructured data—such as CAD drawings and source code—often remain outside their scope, leaving a critical vulnerability.
Sharing design files with suppliers is essential, but it poses a high risk of IP theft, a problem that traditional security tools often fail to address. The theft of Intellectual Property (IP) from businesses is estimated at £9.2bn per annum, according to the first joint Government and industry report by the Office of Cyber Security & Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office and information intelligence experts Detica.
GuardWare PROTECT Design is the first solution in the world to close this security gap with three revolutionary features:
- Persistent encryption, while in use: In a global first, PROTECT Design ensures that complex files, such as CAD drawings and source code, remain fully encrypted even while open and in use. Whether data is stolen, hacked, or maliciously copied by a trusted insider, it remains unreadable and useless.
- Data destruction remote kill switch: Data owners now have the power to instantly revoke access and destroy any design file, regardless of where it has been sent throughout the supply chain. This provides an unprecedented level of control for IP owners, ensuring IP owners maintain control at all times.
- Complete visibility and audit trail: The platform provides IP owners with a complete, non-repudiable audit trail, tracking every action taken on a file. This includes who accessed it, on what device, and when, providing unparalleled visibility and control over sensitive data as it moves through the supply chain.
“For years, attackers have targeted design files precisely because they knew they were the weak link in an organisation’s data protection strategy,” said Ian McKinley, UK executive director of GuardWare. “Perimeter defences all fail eventually. With PROTECT Design, that vulnerability is eliminated. We’ve created a solution that makes stolen data unreadable and useless, empowering security teams to protect what truly matters without hindering innovation.”
ENDS