Kiteworks & BigID link discovery with data controls

Kiteworks has entered a technology partnership with data security specialist BigID that links data discovery and classification with automated policy enforcement on a single platform.

The collaboration connects BigID's data security posture management tools with the Kiteworks Private Data Network. The companies aim to give organisations a single path from identifying sensitive information on their systems to controlling how that information is shared inside and outside the organisation.

BigID scans data across on-premises, cloud, and software-as-a-service environments. It then applies detailed sensitivity labels and risk insights. Kiteworks ingests those labels and runs them through its data policy engine, which governs email, file sharing, managed file transfer, application programming interfaces, and secure data forms.

The integrated set-up enforces a range of controls on sensitive content once it is in transit or in use. Controls include encryption, watermarking, digital rights management, role-based and attribute-based access restrictions, and outright blocking of exchanges. The system triggers measures based on label, sender, recipient and other contextual factors rather than applying them uniformly.

Every interaction with labelled content passes through Kiteworks' unified logging layer. The company says this produces immutable audit records for each access, share, and modification event. Compliance teams can then draw on those records for regulatory reporting and incident investigations under frameworks such as GDPR, HIPAA, CMMC 2.0 and SOX.

DSPM meets enforcement

The partnership targets a long-standing gap in enterprise security between visibility and enforcement. Data security posture management tools have grown in adoption. Many organisations still manage downstream controls on a separate set of systems and processes.

David Byrnes, Vice President Global Channels at Kiteworks, said the combined approach links those layers. "Once Enterprises know what's sensitive, they need to control how it's shared," said Byrnes. "Pairing BigID's discovery with Kiteworks' automated enforcement turns labels into action. Protecting data in motion and in use without slowing the business."

BigID's platform identifies sensitive and high-value data across large estates and applies labels, including Microsoft Purview Information Protection tags. Kiteworks then uses those labels within its policy engine. The engine adjusts controls to reflect data type and risk classification rather than relying on fixed rules.

The companies state that this design maintains productivity. Controls activate only when required by the label and context. Routine exchanges of non-sensitive content proceed without additional frictions for staff or external partners.

Third-party exposure

The integration also addresses data exchanges with suppliers and other third parties. Data policies in Kiteworks continue to operate when content leaves an organisation's direct control. This seeks to reduce exposure across vendor and partner ecosystems, which continue to draw regulatory and board attention after a series of breaches linked to third parties.

Jim Brown, Senior Director Global Partner Management at BigID, said the visibility from discovery needs a matching enforcement layer. "BigID gives customers the visibility to know what data matters most," said Brown. "Kiteworks turns that insight into real-time controls when data is shared. That's how you cut risk without slowing collaboration."

The companies see the integration as a way for security teams to extend their current investments in DSPM. Many large organisations have already deployed discovery and classification tools at scale. They still face difficulties in applying uniform controls across email, file transfer, collaboration platforms and custom applications.

"Security teams have invested in DSPM, and now they can further operationalise it," sums up Byrnes. "BigID identifies the risk; Kiteworks applies the controls and proves it with end-to-end audit."

Use of existing deployments

The joint solution runs on existing BigID implementations without major architectural changes. Organisations can bring in Microsoft Information Protection labels directly. They can also use deeper application programming interfaces between the two platforms.

Deeper integrations extend BigID's discovery and classification functions into Kiteworks enforcement workflows. Security teams can then map additional data sources and risk contexts into the same policy engine that governs outbound sharing.

Brown said the extension of BigID's platform into real-time enforcement reflects a broader trend in data protection. "Enterprises need comprehensive discovery coupled with enforcement that follows the data," said Brown. "Our partnership further operationalises BigID's award-winning data security: labels and risk context become automatic policy for external sharing."

The companies plan further work on API-level integration so that new data sources and classification models can feed directly into Kiteworks' policy controls.