This is how VdW Bayern uses virtual data rooms
Confidential computing enables secure committee work
A guest article by Wilhelm Würmseer
4 min reading time
Providers on the topic
In its search for a secure solution for digital committee communication, VdW Bayern decided on a data room service that relies on a confidential computing approach. In addition to an intuitive and mobile application, a high level of security was crucial.
(Image: Blue Planet Studio – stock.adobe.com)
A few years ago, committee work was underway at the Association of Bavarian Housing Companies (VdW Bavaria) still analog. Executive assistant Heike Krieg vividly remembers how she printed out large quantities of sensitive documents and distributed them in meeting folders or sent them by post to the committee members. This not only cost a lot of postage, paper and toner, but above all a lot of time.
At some point there was a short-term switch to sending emails. That was a little more comfortable, but still not optimal. Some current documents still had to be printed out shortly before the start of the meeting or sent with small updates. In addition, the amount of data to be sent was sometimes so large that some members were no longer able to receive or download the attachments. “So the question arose: How can this be made easier, more comfortable and safer at the same time?” says Krieg.
Looking for a secure cloud solution for digital committee communication
Since confidential information and sensitive data (including information on the economic circumstances or strategic issues of the VdW Bayern Group) are exchanged as part of committee communication, data protection and data security played an overriding role in choosing a suitable solution. In addition, VdW Bayern, as the leading specialist and interest association for the Bavarian housing industry with more than 500 member companies, acts as a role model and figurehead for its members.
We were therefore looking for a solution that not only had a high level of security, but was also future-proof, functional and as intuitive to use as possible. In addition, the service should also enable location-independent use via mobile devices and thus ensure more flexibility.
Maximum security in the cloud thanks to confidential computing
After some research, VdW Bayern decided on a collaboration and data room service that is based on a confidential computing approach. This approach ensures that the data remains protected at all times, not only during storage and transmission, but also during the critical phase, namely during processing in plain text. For this purpose, data processing takes place in secure, hardware-based areas that are shielded from the rest of the system. Even operators and administrators can be proven to never have access to the data.
“When I was looking for a suitable solution, I became aware of Idgard because it is explicitly aimed at those with professional secrecy and can score points with a high level of data protection and security,” explains Christian Fischer, head of the digitalization and IT service area at VdW Bayern. The highly secure data rooms not only enable the legally compliant exchange and sharing of sensitive documents, but also offer helpful additional functions such as a PDF viewer with annotations, anonymous voting, digital meeting folders and a journal, with which all activities in the data room are recorded completely and in an audit-proof manner let.
High acceptance thanks to intuitive operation
It only took a total of three months from the initial contact with the solution to the roll-out at VdW Bayern. During this time, the service was put through its paces and presented to the association board and committee members as a new tool for secure and legally compliant data exchange. In addition, organizational issues had to be clarified during the three months, such as the allocation of administrator and user authorizations as well as the authority to set up and manage data rooms.
Complex and cost-intensive training was not necessary: the highly secure data rooms can be easily used in the browser without installation. In addition, apps for iOS and Android are available that ensure location-independent access to the stored data – a point that was particularly important to VdW Bayern in addition to the security aspect. Because: Almost all committee members use Idgard on mobile devices. Accordingly, the solution was well received, reveals Christian Fischer: “There were no difficulties with the integration because the service was comfortable and intuitive to use. After the first one or two meetings, all committee members got used to it – we were also able to pick up colleagues who were less tech-savvy without any problems.”
Since then, Heike Krieg has been able to save herself the trouble of printing out documents and sending them by post. The documents are now simply exchanged digitally, and all users receive a notification as soon as a new version or document is available. This makes the preparation and follow-up of committee meetings much quicker. “Especially in these fast-moving times, the mountains of tasks to be mastered are getting bigger and bigger. “We are therefore grateful when time and resources can be saved elsewhere,” says Heike Krieg.
Conclusion: Confidential Computing enables secure committee work
With the highly secure data room service based on confidential computing, VdW Bayern has found a secure, mobile and intuitive cloud solution for digital committee communication, which soon became very popular among members. The high level of security is particularly important. Unauthorized access to the secured data rooms, both from outsiders and from the cloud operator itself, is reliably prevented at all times. This means that nothing stands in the way of secure and legally compliant data exchange at this level.
About the author: Wilhelm Würmseer studied German in Munich and then worked in various IT editorial departments. After a short detour into the world of PR agencies, he has been responsible for corporate communications at the TÜV Süd subsidiary since 2017 idgard | uniscon GmbH, a Munich-based provider of highly secure cloud collaboration solutions for companies.
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