For Asset Managers, few things are more alarming than discovering that a confidential asset has been leaked. Whether it’s an unreleased product image, marketing creative, or embargoed media, unauthorized exposure can diminish the impact of a launch and cost companies millions in lost revenue, legal fees, and reputational damage.
While external threats like cyberattacks are a constant concern, a majority of leaks originate internally– often due to negligence rather than malicious intent. An employee might share a sensitive file without understanding the consequences, or a simple misconfiguration in access permissions could leave valuable content exposed. These seemingly minor mistakes can have financial and operational repercussions, with accidental data leaks costing organizations as much as $10 million per incident.
The Overlooked Risk of Internal Leaks
Many organizations focus their cyber security efforts on defending against external attacks such as malicious actors attempting to breach systems. However, accidental exposure and insider risks are just as damaging.
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Accidental exposure occurs when sensitive content is unintentionally made accessible due to misconfigured permissions, system vulnerabilities, or software flaws. These gaps often go unnoticed until a leak occurs.
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Insider risks involve employees mishandling or sharing digital assets in ways that violate security protocols, whether through negligence or intentional misconduct. An excited employee might share a confidential product image without realizing the consequences.
In fact, 74% of all data breaches involve human error, including accidental sharing and misconfigured access settings. These vulnerabilities show why organizations need to implement additional safeguards beyond traditional DAM security measures to protect their most valuable digital assets.
How Forensic Watermarking Strengthens DAM Security
Forensic watermarking is a powerful solution that helps organizations deter, track, and detect unauthorized sharing of digital assets. Watermarking embeds an imperceptible, persistent signature directly into the content unlike conventional security methods that rely on metadata or access controls. This ensures that the data stored can be retrieved even if the file is altered, screenshotted, or stripped of metadata.
Key benefits of Forensic Watermarking
- IP Leak Protection: Forensic watermarking protects digital assets throughout their lifecycle without compromising on creative integrity.
- Deterrence of Unauthorized Sharing: Visible watermarks act as a deterrent by displaying user information on top of assets.
- Resilience Against Tampering: Unlike traditional watermarks, innovations from companies like Steg.AI allow forensic watermarks to persist through edits like cropping and compression, ensuring that digital assets remain traceable.
Why Organizations Need Forensic Watermarking
Even the most robust DAM security measures are not perfect, especially when it comes to accidental or internal leaks. Forensic watermarking covers these gaps by giving Digital Asset Managers the ability to track unauthorized content distribution and respond swiftly to breaches.
By integrating forensic watermarking into their DAM workflows, companies gain an added layer of protection that strengthens their security without disrupting creative collaboration. Given the risks companies face from content leaks, watermarking technology is not just a precaution—it’s a necessity.