Latest news with #Kiteworks
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why Companies Need To Institute Stricter AI Policies
As the hype grows around AI and more people try it out, many are using it at work to see how it can help them become more efficient. But there's a real problem: Some employees are using public instances of chatbots, putting proprietary company data at risk by giving an open LLM access. Others use the company's access to AI, but input highly sensitive and personal data, like Social Security numbers and financial data. A new study from technology security company Kiteworks found that 27% of companies reported that nearly a third of all of the data sent to AI systems is the type of information that should be kept private, like company records, employee information and trade secrets. (It could be more; 17% of companies don't know how much private data ends up getting sent to AI.) It's a problem that's growing. A Stanford University report on AI found a 56.4% increase in security incidents with the technology last year. While it may seem obvious to the tech savvy, many employees might not know the risks of this kind of AI sharing, and 83% of companies only rely on training or warning emails to let them know. Kiteworks found that just 17% have automatic controls that keep employees from uploading sensitive information to public AI tools. Further, most companies don't have much of an AI governance structure—only 9%, according to Deloitte research cited by Kiteworks. The study results show that companies need to add policies and infrastructure to control employee use of AI and protect their own data. This kind of use can cause real damage to companies—not to mention their employees and clients. The study concludes that companies need to acknowledge the threat, deploy controls that can be verified, and ensure that they can stand up to regulatory scrutiny. 'With incidents surging, zero-day attacks targeting the security infrastructure itself, and the vast majority lacking real visibility or control, the window for implementing meaningful protections is rapidly closing,' Kiteworks CMO Tim Freestone said in a statement. Many people still haven't grasped how to truly use AI to benefit their company—we all know its practical business functions go beyond asking a chatbot for advice. I talked to Lindsay Phillips, cofounder and COO of tech change coaching firm SkyPhi Studios, about how to bring AI to your company and get people using it. An excerpt from our conversation is later in this newsletter. This is the published version of Forbes' CIO newsletter, which offers the latest news for chief innovation officers and other technology-focused leaders. Click here to get it delivered to your inbox every Thursday. STOCK MARKET NEWS Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the VivaTech technology startup and innovation fair in Paris earlier this month. Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images Nvidia is back on top, pulling ahead of Microsoft as the world's most valuable company. A research note on Wednesday from Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah raised his price target for Nvidia's stock from $175 to $250. Baruah wrote that Nvidia will lead the next 'Golden Wave' for generative AI, and will see 'stronger-than-anticipated demand.' The research note—as well as Nvidia's annual shareholder meeting, where CEO Jensen Huang laid out an optimistic view of the company's future—drove the company's stock to hit a record high of $154.43. While share prices dropped somewhat before markets closed, it was a banner day for the chips company. Chips and robotics company, that is. At the annual meeting, Nvidia positioned itself squarely in the robotics and physical industrial AI spaces. In the company's annual report, Huang wrote that so far this year, Nvidia has fundamentally transformed itself from a chip maker to a builder of infrastructure. While AI data centers will continue to be important, AI-powered robots in factories, hospitals, farms and cities will be what moves society forward in the not-so-distant future. 'We stopped thinking of ourselves as a chip company long ago,' Huang said at the meeting, according to CNBC. CYBERSECURITY An Iranian man stands in his apartment in Tehran, which was destroyed by Israeli attacks. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images While it seems for now that the physical conflict between Iran and Israel—which the U.S. inserted itself into by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities—is on hold, the war will likely still be bitterly fought online. Forbes' Thomas Brewster writes that Iran, which has a 'robust cyber apparatus' according to Middle East cybersecurity experts, is likely to launch disruptive attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests. For the U.S. government, this could be especially challenging. Since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency has lost many experienced employees and does not even have a permanent director. Insiders told Forbes that CISA already is stretched thin, but coordinated attacks from Iran could make it much worse. The PR war over how the attacks are seen is also riddled with conflicting imagery. AI-generated Iranian propaganda showing a rocket launch and a convoy of tanks and missiles have racked up millions of views, writes Forbes' Emily Baker-White. These videos, which were seen throughout social media, abruptly disappeared. None of the platforms have any policies against releasing propaganda, and the videos didn't appear to be labeled as AI-generated. NOTABLE NEWS getty AI can be a force for good, but it can also be nefarious. New research from Barracuda, Columbia University and the University of Chicago found that AI writes more than half of all spam email now, writes Forbes senior contributor Davey Winder. This includes the vast majority of messages in your personal account's spam folder—but it's also getting prevalent in business emails as well. About 14% of business inbox attacks, in which often senior people in organizations are targeted with requests for financial transactions, are written by AI. Winder writes that it makes sense to use AI for spam. It tends to do a passable job of writing with proper grammar and spelling across a variety of languages. It can also write in a convincing way to provoke a recipient to respond. The study found that attackers seem to be using AI to draft different versions of spam and hacking emails, searching for the best way to get a recipient's attention. BITS + BYTES How To Get Your Company To Use AI To Its Full Potential SkyPhi Studios cofounder and COO Lindsay Phillips. SkyPhi Studios AI truly can transform the way we do business, but in order for it to make a difference, employees actually need to use it. AI is unlike any other tech shift in recent years, and it can be difficult for everyone at a company to embrace it. I talked to Lindsay Phillips, cofounder and COO of tech change coaching firm SkyPhi Studios, about the best way to get your employees through these challenges. This conversation has been edited for length, clarity and continuity. What is the biggest hurdle that you see to widespread AI adoption in companies? Phillips: The biggest hurdle is companies approaching AI as a software shift, and AI is really a mindset shift. It's not just about teaching people how to do the same work in a different tool. They have to completely change how they think about work, how they think about the value that they're bringing to the workplace, how they approach their workflows. Companies that are just trying to make tools available and don't help people understand how to use it, how to adopt it successfully and how to integrate it, are running into adoption challenges. How do you get past that roadblock? Understanding how you want people to change to use the tool. Understanding how roles and responsibilities need to change, the RACI [responsibility matrix] that's required so that folks adopt this tool and integrate it into their workflows. You want to also make sure that leadership across the org understands that strategy. Most folks want to get guidance from their manager, so you want to leverage leadership cascades and really make sure they're carrying that message forward and reinforcing it. The other thing that we're seeing with companies that are successful is a community of practice: Creating ambassadors throughout the org, at the ground level, boots on the street, that are supporting their team members and adopting these tools and helping them make that mindset shift. How does the move toward AI compare to other technology shifts in the past, like moving to the cloud and increasing cybersecurity? It definitely feels like we're driving the car while we're building the car, so we need our team members to be very collaborative in helping us figure out how to use these tools. Experts are going to be able to tell you how AI is going to be able to make their jobs more productive and be able to help them do their work better. Leadership's not necessarily going to know that, so it really does need to be a lot more collaborative and agile than it needed to be in the past. In the past, you find requirements, you help people adopt those new ways of working, you meet those requirements. This we're figuring it out as we go, and it's much more experimental. What sets the companies that are most successfully integrating AI apart? A comfort with experimentation and a certain amount of comfort with uncertainty of saying, 'We're going to give it a try. We're going to see how it goes, and we'll pivot as we need to.' Companies that are very attached to clarity and certainty and always having the right answer are going to struggle with AI adoption. It's not a linear straight path. It is going to be something you have to figure out as you go. What advice would you give to executives that are trying to get their employees to use AI? The more accessible we can make it, the better. There's companies doing weekly challenges. Just start to encourage your folks to incorporate it into their daily lives. Encourage folks to share wins. You want to hear about how other people are using these tools so that it can give you ideas of how you can also use it in your day-to-day. It is a massive mindset shift. Approach it with little tiny bites that you can take to start to shift habits daily. COMINGS + GOINGS Defense contractor Lockheed Martin appointed Dr. Craig Martell as its new vice president and chief technology officer, effective June 23. Martell previously worked as chief AI officer for Cohesity, and as the first chief digital and AI officer for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to that. appointed as its new vice president and chief technology officer, effective June 23. Martell previously worked as chief AI officer for Cohesity, and as the first chief digital and AI officer for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to that. Convenience store chain Love's Travel Stops hired Tim Langley-Hawthorne as chief technology officer, effective June 23. Langley-Hawthorne steps into the role after working as Hertz's executive vice president and chief information officer. hired as chief technology officer, effective June 23. Langley-Hawthorne steps into the role after working as Hertz's executive vice president and chief information officer. Newspaper chain Gannett selected Joe Miranda for its chief technology and data officer role, effective June 23. Miranda joins the firm after working as executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer of Herbalife, and has also held leadership roles at Thomson Reuters and Voya Financial. STRATEGIES + ADVICE As more companies adopt enterprise AI packages, several trends in what they are using and how are coming to the surface. Here are 10 trends that are shaping enterprise LLM use today. While part of business advancement today is all about personal branding and showing the world your expertise and strategic viewpoint, you may feel more comfortable quietly sitting in front of a screen. The good news is that you don't have to be an extrovert. Here are some tips for shy people who want to build personal brands. QUIZ After Meta's deal to take a 49% stake in data-labeling company Scale AI, another company with a very different main business stepped up as a potential giant in data labeling. Which company is it? A. Priceline B. Uber C. Instacart D. Electronic Arts See if you got the answer right here.
Techday NZ
20-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Most firms overestimate AI governance as privacy risks surge
Kiteworks has released its AI Data Security and Compliance Risk Survey, highlighting gaps between AI adoption and governance maturity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and globally. The survey, based on responses from 461 cybersecurity, IT, risk management, and compliance professionals, reveals that only 17% of organisations have implemented technical controls that block access to public AI tools alongside data loss prevention (DLP) scanning. Despite this, 26% of respondents state that over 30% of the data employees input into public AI tools is private, and 27% confirm this figure specifically for the APAC region. These findings appear against a backdrop of rising incidents; Stanford's 2025 AI Index Report recorded a 56.4% year-on-year increase in AI privacy incidents, totalling 233 last year. According to the Kiteworks survey, only 40% of organisations restrict AI tool usage via training and audits, 20% rely solely on warnings without monitoring, and 13% lack any specific policies, leaving many exposed to data privacy risks. A disconnect between adoption and controls "Our research reveals a fundamental disconnect between AI adoption and security implementation," said Tim Freestone, Chief Strategy Officer at Kiteworks. "When only 17% have technical blocking controls with DLP scanning, we're witnessing systemic governance failure. The fact that Google reports 44% of zero-day attacks target data exchange systems undermines the very systems organisations rely on for protection." The survey indicates a persistent overconfidence among organisations regarding their AI governance maturity. While 40% of respondents say they have fully implemented an AI governance framework, Gartner's data shows only 12% of organisations possess dedicated AI governance structures, with 55% lacking any frameworks. Deloitte's research further highlights this gap, showing just 9% achieve 'Ready' level governance maturity despite 23% considering themselves 'highly prepared'. This discrepancy is compounded by industry data indicating that 86% lack visibility into AI data flows. EY's recent study suggests that technology companies continue to deploy AI at a rapid pace, with 48% already using AI agents and 92% planning increased investment—a 10% rise since March 2024—with 'tremendous pressure' to justify returns, thereby elevating incentives to adopt AI quickly but at the expense of security. "The gap between self-reported capabilities and measured maturity represents a dangerous form of organisational blindness," explained Freestone. "When organisations claiming governance discover their tracking reveals significantly more risks than anticipated according to Deloitte, and when 91% have only basic or in-progress AI governance capabilities, this overconfidence multiplies risk exposure precisely when threats are escalating." Legal sector and policy awareness According to survey data, the legal sector exhibits heightened concern about data leakage, with 31% of legal professionals identifying it as a top risk. However, implementation lags are evident, with 15% lacking policies or controls for public AI use and 19% relying on unmonitored warnings. Only 23% of organisations overall have comprehensive privacy controls and regular audits before deploying AI systems. Within legal firms, 15% had no formal privacy controls but prioritised rapid AI uptake – an improvement over the 23% average across sectors, but still significant in a sector where risk mitigation is fundamental. Thomson Reuters figures support this, reporting that just 41% of law firms have AI-related policies, despite 95% foreseeing AI as central within five years. Security controls and data exposure in APAC APAC organisations closely mirror global patterns, with 40% relying on employee training and audits, 17% utilising technical controls with DLP scanning, and 20% issuing warnings with no enforcement. Meanwhile, 11% provide only guidelines, and 12% have no policy in place. This means that 83% lack automated controls, despite the APAC region's position at the forefront of the global AI market. The exposure of private data follows global trends: 27% report that more than 30% of AI-ingested data is private, 24% report a 6–15% exposure rate, and 15% are unaware of their exposure levels. A slight improvement in visibility is indicated, which may reflect regional technical expertise. For AI governance, 40% of APAC respondents claim thorough implementation, 41% say partial implementation, while 9% have no plans, and 3% are planning to implement controls. Regulatory complexity and cross-border risks APAC's position involves navigating a complex landscape of national regulations, including China's Personal Information Protection Law, Singapore's PDPA, Japan's APPI, Australia's Privacy Act reforms, India's draft Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and South Korea's PIPA. The survey highlights that a 60% visibility gap in AI data flows in the region is particularly challenging, given the region's diversity, which limits the ability to comply with data localisation, cross-border data transfer rules, and consent requirements. Weak controls in APAC expose organisations to difficulties in monitoring compliance with China's data localisation regulations, managing Singapore-Australia digital agreements, and knowing how AI tools route data through restricted jurisdictions. Organisational strategies and gaps Regarding privacy investment, 34% of organisations employ balanced approaches that involve data minimisation and the selective use of privacy-enhancing technologies. Some 23% have comprehensive controls and audits, while 10% maintain basic policies but focus on AI innovation, and another 10% address privacy only when required by law. Meanwhile, 23% have no formal privacy controls while prioritising rapid AI adoption. Kiteworks recommends that businesses recognise the overestimation of their governance maturity, deploy automated and verifiable controls for compliance, and prepare for increasing regulatory scrutiny by quantifying and addressing any exposure gaps. "The data reveals organisations significantly overestimate their AI governance maturity," concluded Freestone. "With incidents surging, zero-day attacks targeting the security infrastructure itself, and the vast majority lacking real visibility or control, the window for implementing meaningful protections is rapidly closing."
Mid East Info
19-06-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Kiteworks Expands Market Reach While Reconfirming Commitment to Data Privacy With Zivver Acquisition - Middle East Business News and Information
Kiteworks, which empowers organisations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and use of private data, today announced the acquisition of Zivver, an innovative secure email platform headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This strategic acquisition enhances Kiteworks' capabilities in secure communication while further expanding its European presence with the addition of Zivver's professional team and large customer base. Zivver uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyse sensitive email content in context to prevent human errors, the biggest cause of data leaks in email, and to accurately protect, control, and track the exchange of sensitive data using a zero-knowledge, zero-access encryption key architecture. This ensures that only the sender and intended recipients have access to the protected data, maintaining the highest levels of security and privacy. Expanding the Private Data Network The acquisition will result in the integration of Zivver's AI-enabled secure email capabilities into Kiteworks' Private Data Network that unifies and secures email, file sharing and collaboration, SFTP, managed file transfer (MFT), enterprise AI, and web forms into one platform. Kiteworks also includes Next-generation Digital Rights Management (Next-gen DRM) powered by SafeEDIT that provides organisations with a unified approach to monitoring, controlling, and protecting private data across multiple communication channels. This is Kiteworks' sixth acquisition in the past three and a half years and fifth in the past 18 months. 'Organisations require comprehensive solutions that protect private data shared and sent across all communication channels while maintaining seamless user experiences,' says Amit Toren, Chief Business Officer at Kiteworks. 'By bringing Zivver's innovative secure email technology into our Private Data Network, we're providing the combined customer base with enhanced capabilities to secure their most sensitive communications while meeting stringent compliance requirements. This acquisition reflects our focus on continuous innovation in secure data exchange, including AI-based data protection, coupled with the continued growth in our talented global team.' Benefits for Zivver Customers and Partners Zivver customers and partners will benefit significantly from this acquisition while experiencing no disruption to their existing services: Kiteworks' Private Data Network Platform: Customers gain access to additional secure communication capabilities within Kiteworks' comprehensive security and governance framework. Customers gain access to additional secure communication capabilities within Kiteworks' comprehensive security and governance framework. Enhanced Global Support: Customers electing to upgrade to the combined Kiteworks platform will have access to Kiteworks' robust 24/7 support operation, ensuring expert assistance is available worldwide at any time – from initial onboarding to ongoing business-critical operations. Customers electing to upgrade to the combined Kiteworks platform will have access to Kiteworks' robust 24/7 support operation, ensuring expert assistance is available worldwide at any time – from initial onboarding to ongoing business-critical operations. Long-term Innovation and Stability: Customers get continued product support without disruptions to service, backed by Kiteworks' profitable, well-funded organisation committed to the highest security and compliance standards. Customers get continued product support without disruptions to service, backed by Kiteworks' profitable, well-funded organisation committed to the highest security and compliance standards. Data Sovereignty: Zivver will remain hosted in the European Union with all data stored within EU borders, ensuring compliance with regional data protection regulations. 'We surveyed countless companies and solutions globally,' says Wouter Klinkhamer, CEO of Zivver. 'Our objective was to find a partner who shares our vision for zero-access security and meets Europe's stringent data sovereignty standards. Kiteworks not only mirrors our philosophy on encryption and zero-trust, but also offers on-premise and private cloud deployment options for controlling, monitoring, and protecting every data interaction between people, machines, and systems across user collaboration and automated workflows − all from one platform. We're particularly excited about the expanded product innovation and development and additional resources this acquisition brings to our customers and partners.' Key Capabilities of the Combined Solution The integration of Zivver into Kiteworks' Private Data Network will bring additional capabilities to organisations seeking to protect their sensitive communications. Specifically, Zivver automatically analyses email and attachment content with machine learning and AI based on scanning for sensitive data, behavioural analysis, erroneous email address detection/warning, and others, adjusting protection levels based on the detected sensitivity of the information being shared and its context. This 'right-sized security' approach means that enhanced security protocols (like encryption and additional authentication) are only triggered when sensitive data is detected. According to company policy, this ensures critical data remains protected without unnecessarily burdening users with extra security steps for non-sensitive communications. Zivver also integrates with major email platforms including M365, Outlook, and Gmail, providing a user-friendly experience for secure email communication and large file sharing without complicated workflows. Plus, there is no need for recipients to create accounts to Zivver, reducing friction in reading and replying to secure emails. Finally, Zivver's e-signature capabilities provide a secure, compliant solution for digital document signing. The platform integrates with Zivver's encrypted email system, allowing users to send documents for signature, track progress in real time, and store completed documents with verification. Compliant with eIDAS and ESIGN regulations, the user-friendly system offers customisable workflows and mobile-friendly signing options that don't require recipient accounts − balancing security with convenience for industries handling sensitive information. Continuity for Customers Zivver will continue to be sold and supported independently, with no disruptions in service for existing customers. Customers can continue renewing and upgrading their licenses as before, while benefiting from the additional resources and capabilities that come with being part of Kiteworks. Kiteworks' and Zivver's joint commitment enables organisations to meet various regulations such as GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, and DORA, with adaptable security measures and robust reporting for compliance monitoring. 'Working together, we can serve European customers with a truly holistic approach,' says Rick Goud, Chief Innovation Officer at Zivver. 'They'll have the freedom to selectively leverage the cloud for certain workloads while keeping their most sensitive communications fully on-premise if they choose. The combination of user-friendly data protection, encryption, and advanced monitoring of all outbound data flows provides the level of protection and peace of mind today's governments and enterprises desperately need.'
Channel Post MEA
19-06-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Kiteworks Acquires Amsterdam Headquartered Zivver
Kiteworks has announced the acquisition of Zivver, an innovative secure email platform headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This strategic acquisition enhances Kiteworks' capabilities in secure communication while further expanding its European presence with the addition of Zivver's professional team and large customer base. Zivver uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyse sensitive email content in context to prevent human errors, the biggest cause of data leaks in email, and to accurately protect, control, and track the exchange of sensitive data using a zero-knowledge, zero-access encryption key architecture. This ensures that only the sender and intended recipients have access to the protected data, maintaining the highest levels of security and privacy. Expanding the Private Data Network The acquisition will result in the integration of Zivver's AI-enabled secure email capabilities into Kiteworks' Private Data Network that unifies and secures email, file sharing and collaboration, SFTP, managed file transfer (MFT), enterprise AI, and web forms into one platform. Kiteworks also includes Next-generation Digital Rights Management (Next-gen DRM) powered by SafeEDIT that provides organisations with a unified approach to monitoring, controlling, and protecting private data across multiple communication channels. This is Kiteworks' sixth acquisition in the past three and a half years and fifth in the past 18 months. 'Organisations require comprehensive solutions that protect private data shared and sent across all communication channels while maintaining seamless user experiences,' says Amit Toren, Chief Business Officer at Kiteworks. 'By bringing Zivver's innovative secure email technology into our Private Data Network, we're providing the combined customer base with enhanced capabilities to secure their most sensitive communications while meeting stringent compliance requirements. This acquisition reflects our focus on continuous innovation in secure data exchange, including AI-based data protection, coupled with the continued growth in our talented global team.' Benefits for Zivver Customers and Partners Zivver customers and partners will benefit significantly from this acquisition while experiencing no disruption to their existing services: Kiteworks' Private Data Network Platform: Customers gain access to additional secure communication capabilities within Kiteworks' comprehensive security and governance framework. Enhanced Global Support: Customers electing to upgrade to the combined Kiteworks platform will have access to Kiteworks' robust 24/7 support operation, ensuring expert assistance is available worldwide at any time – from initial onboarding to ongoing business-critical operations. Long-term Innovation and Stability: Customers get continued product support without disruptions to service, backed by Kiteworks' profitable, well-funded organisation committed to the highest security and compliance standards. Data Sovereignty: Zivver will remain hosted in the European Union with all data stored within EU borders, ensuring compliance with regional data protection regulations. 'We surveyed countless companies and solutions globally,' says Wouter Klinkhamer, CEO of Zivver. 'Our objective was to find a partner who shares our vision for zero-access security and meets Europe's stringent data sovereignty standards. Kiteworks not only mirrors our philosophy on encryption and zero-trust, but also offers on-premise and private cloud deployment options for controlling, monitoring, and protecting every data interaction between people, machines, and systems across user collaboration and automated workflows − all from one platform. We're particularly excited about the expanded product innovation and development and additional resources this acquisition brings to our customers and partners.' Key Capabilities of the Combined Solution The integration of Zivver into Kiteworks' Private Data Network will bring additional capabilities to organisations seeking to protect their sensitive communications. Specifically, Zivver automatically analyses email and attachment content with machine learning and AI based on scanning for sensitive data, behavioural analysis, erroneous email address detection/warning, and others, adjusting protection levels based on the detected sensitivity of the information being shared and its context. This 'right-sized security' approach means that enhanced security protocols (like encryption and additional authentication) are only triggered when sensitive data is detected. According to company policy, this ensures critical data remains protected without unnecessarily burdening users with extra security steps for non-sensitive communications. Zivver also integrates with major email platforms including M365, Outlook, and Gmail, providing a user-friendly experience for secure email communication and large file sharing without complicated workflows. Plus, there is no need for recipients to create accounts to Zivver, reducing friction in reading and replying to secure emails. Finally, Zivver's e-signature capabilities provide a secure, compliant solution for digital document signing. The platform integrates with Zivver's encrypted email system, allowing users to send documents for signature, track progress in real time, and store completed documents with verification. Compliant with eIDAS and ESIGN regulations, the user-friendly system offers customisable workflows and mobile-friendly signing options that don't require recipient accounts − balancing security with convenience for industries handling sensitive information. Continuity for Customers Zivver will continue to be sold and supported independently, with no disruptions in service for existing customers. Customers can continue renewing and upgrading their licenses as before, while benefiting from the additional resources and capabilities that come with being part of Kiteworks. Kiteworks' and Zivver's joint commitment enables organisations to meet various regulations such as GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, and DORA, with adaptable security measures and robust reporting for compliance monitoring. 'Working together, we can serve European customers with a truly holistic approach,' says Rick Goud, Chief Innovation Officer at Zivver. 'They'll have the freedom to selectively leverage the cloud for certain workloads while keeping their most sensitive communications fully on-premise if they choose. The combination of user-friendly data protection, encryption, and advanced monitoring of all outbound data flows provides the level of protection and peace of mind today's governments and enterprises desperately need.'
Business Wire
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Zivver Joins Kiteworks to Offer a Broad Range of Sovereign Solutions for Secure Private Data Exchange
AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zivver, Europe's leading provider of secure communications, best known for its AI-powered email security solutions and headquartered in Amsterdam, today announced it has been acquired by Kiteworks. Kiteworks enables organizations worldwide to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and use of private data via its Private Data Network (PDN), which protects over 100 million end-users and 1,500 enterprises globally. Kiteworks accelerated its growth trajectory, including international markets, with $456 million in growth equity funding from Insight Partners and Sixth Street Growth in August 2024. Through this acquisition, Zivver will expand its private data exchange portfolio with sovereign data solutions deployable on-premises, in private cloud, or public cloud environments. This strengthens Zivver's ability to address the increasing demand among European governments and enterprises for more flexible and sovereign secure data exchange capabilities. At the same time, the acquisition enables Zivver to introduce its solutions to new markets worldwide. Addressing the Growing Need for More Comprehensive, Sovereign Data Exchange Zivver is Europe's leading secure data exchange provider, recognized for advanced data classification, human error prevention, and zero-access encryption in its secure email, file transfer, and eSignatures solutions. Zivver's unique solutions ensure that neither Zivver nor the cloud provider hosting the data can access an organization's sensitive emails, files, and documents. As a result, Zivver is one of the few cloud providers in the world not subject to data access risks under laws like the U.S. CLOUD Act. However, with the growing demand for broader and more sovereign communication solutions, Zivver sought a trusted partner to help meet this need. Strategic Partnership Enables End-to-End Sovereign Data Exchange and Collaboration 'Our objective was to join forces with a global leader that shares our vision for zero-access security and meets Europe's stringent data sovereignty standards,' said Wouter Klinkhamer, CEO of Zivver. 'Kiteworks not only mirrors our philosophy on encryption and zero-trust data exchange but also offers on-premises and private cloud deployment options for monitoring all private data moving within, into, and out of organizations—including with countless third parties. This synergy with Kiteworks enables us to deliver zero-trust data exchange for every send, share, receive, and use of private data—regardless of the channels. This enables us to prevent everything from human-error data leaks in emails to the safeguarding of large file transfers, all under the customer's control.' With a global presence, including a broad European customer base, the Kiteworks platform provides complete transparency and oversight into how, when, and where data is shared, enabling organizations to prevent inadvertent and malicious data breaches. Drawing upon this breadth of market penetration and its comprehensive platform, Kiteworks will accelerate the introduction of Zivver's best-in-class data protection, data classification, human-error prevention, and user-friendly secure email capabilities into fast-growing international markets where zero-trust data exchange is essential. ' Organizations require comprehensive solutions that protect private data shared and sent across all communication channels while maintaining seamless user experiences,' said Amit Toren, Chief Business Officer at Kiteworks. ' By bringing Zivver's innovative secure email technology into our Private Data Network, we're providing the combined customer base with enhanced capabilities to secure their most sensitive communications while meeting stringent compliance requirements. This acquisition reflects our focus on continuous innovation in secure data exchange, including AI-based data protection, coupled with the continued growth in our talented global team. ' Unlocking New Opportunities for European Customers 'The challenges surrounding data sovereignty—especially in Europe—require solutions that don't compromise on user-friendliness while still meeting the highest standards of security and compliance,' adds Rick Goud, Chief Innovation Officer at Zivver. 'The Zivver-Kiteworks combination makes this possible by giving organizations full control over where their data is stored, while ensuring compliance with regional regulations. I'm not aware of any other solution worldwide that offers this level of flexibility in terms of supported use cases, hosting models, and security features. This will create major opportunities for both our existing and future customers who are looking to reduce their dependency on the 'American cloud' in these dynamic times of geopolitical uncertainty.'
