ITAR Compliant File Sharing and Sync

International Traffics in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is the US government’s flagship compliance law that controls the export and outflow of the defense and military-related items. The items covered under ITAR include defense articles, services, and related technology that are on the United States Munitions List (USML) consisting of military items such as firearms, ammunition, aircraft, personal protective equipment, and IoT sensors.

“Technical data” is also protected in ITAR that consists of information related to the blueprints, documentation, schematics, and flowcharts that can be employed to design, develop, manufacture, operation, maintenance, or modification of items that are on the USML list. ITAR compliance categorically covers arms dealers as well as all organizations that form a part of the military and defense supply chain. These companies must comply with specific requirements to ensure confidential information is not leaked to civilians, criminals, or threats to the U.S.

The Risks of Non-compliance

The risk of non-compliance with ITAR can result in severe penalties for organizations, with fines up to $1 million, imprisonment for ten years, and even banishment from conducting any export business. ITAR is all the more important for organizations that make use of cloud-based services for sharing and storing data.

FileCloud Supports ITAR Compliance Checklists

FileCloud offers a robust feature stack with multi-layered security, authentication, and collaboration tools that can support DPOs and compliance officers when running through ITAR compliance checklists. Some examples of ITAR-supportive features in FileCloud include:

• End-to-End Encryption: Complete encryption of files stored on the cloud server to prevent unauthorized access.
• Access Permission Controls: Set expiration on shared files and set granular file permissions. Revoke data access to reduce the risk in event of a data breach.
• 360° Protection: Data security with advanced tools like ransomware protection, smart DLP, smart content classification, and FileCloud DRM.
• Data Loss Prevention: Set rules to effectively prevent accidental data leaks from end users, based on default and custom metadata sets.
• Audit Reports: View when, where, and how ITAR data flows through the digital supply chain. Audit reports help keep track of activities in the cloud.
• DRM: Advanced DRM capabilities, including the ability to send public, private, and password-protected shares, revoke access at any time (even after they’re sent), and prevent screenshotting, printing, or copying.

FileCloud’s ITAR Compliance Center

Perhaps FileCloud’s best tool for ITAR compliance is the Compliance Center.

FileCloud’s ITAR configuration in the Compliance Center was designed to make life easier. It organizes ITAR compliance requirements as they pertain to file management, access, and collaboration. Some security protections that can be enabled include SSL and encryption settings, along with customized metadata, DLP, and smart classification options.

Furthermore, once rules are enabled, the system will scan the FileCloud environment to check if the necessary policies and settings have been enabled to meet compliance. Administrators can implement FileCloud’s best practices and recommendations to ensure compliance, while instantly viewing problems with compliance in the dashboard.

If the system flags a violation, information is provided within the ITAR compliance dashboard that illustrate how FileCloud can be leveraged to meet the requirement.

Rules like “Confirm all users are US residents” are simple and easy ways to prompt Compliance Officers or IT admins to ensure requirements are being met. This compliance dashboard is customizable and lets admins easily bypass any rule if another solution is in place outside the FileCloud environment. Admins can also review, archive, or export reports in CSV files for ease of internal reviews or external audits.

FileCloud’s ITAR Compliance Center is designed to be easy for anyone to use, while helping translate and implement complicated governmental regulations. Rules are linked with original compliance documentation, listed alongside a simple explanation as to how FileCloud can help meet the requirement.

Learn more about secure and ITAR-compliant file sharing.