Use Cases

The Challenge

For legal and notarial firms, the processing and storage of client data, legal case files, and merger documents are subject to the strictest confidentiality and professional secrecy obligations. They often operate in a hybrid environment, using on-premise servers for highly sensitive case files and cloud services (like Microsoft 365 or Azure) for general productivity. This creates two major security vulnerabilities:

• Ransomware: An attack could encrypt and lock up all active case files, immediately halting all legal processes and crippling the firm’s ability to meet court deadlines, leading to severe financial and reputational damage.
• Foreign Jurisdiction/Cloud Risk: Storing any client data, even in an EU-based cloud region, may still carry risks related to foreign surveillance laws (like the US CLOUD Act) or data being subject to the jurisdiction of the cloud provider’s home country, potentially violating the strict secrecy duties required by law.

The Solution

A leading law firm, “De Vertrouwde Akte” (The Trusted Deed), implemented ChunkWorks as a definitive guarantee of data sovereignty and unbreakable confidentiality for its most sensitive documents.

ChunkWorks seamlessly integrates into the firm’s existing IT infrastructure, encrypting and fragmenting critical legal files (e.g., contracts, wills, sensitive correspondence) at the source. The system then distributes these unusable data chunks across multiple, geographically dispersed, and independent EU-based data centers, completely separating the data from their primary cloud environment.

• Absolute Sovereignty: The data never resides fully intact within the primary cloud provider’s environment, guaranteeing that the firm retains complete control and sovereignty over its confidential client data, protected from foreign legal mandates.
• Ultimate Ransomware Protection: If the firm’s main network or cloud environment is compromised by ransomware, the attackers gain access only to encrypted fragments, which are unreadable and useless. The firm can quickly initiate a simple, reliable recovery using ChunkWorks’ fragmented data, ensuring zero downtime and protecting their professional integrity.

This solution was validated through the Test IT, See IT, Believe IT, Trust IT & Fixed IT program, proving that the data remained secure and fully recoverable, even after simulating a total outage of their primary IT systems.

The Challenge

Universities and colleges manage an immense amount of sensitive data, including student records, research information, and financial data. The sector is an attractive target for ransomware attacks, as a disruption of IT systems directly paralyzes daily operations (e.g., online lectures, registrations, and access to research data). Many institutions use a mix of their own servers and cloud solutions, leading to complexity and ambiguity about where data is stored and who is responsible for its security. Data sovereignty is crucial, especially with international students and research projects where data may fall under the jurisdiction of different countries.

The ChunkWorks Solution

ChunkWorks provides a “Plan B” for educational institutions by seamlessly integrating with their existing hybrid IT environment. It encrypts and fragments critical data, such as student information or research data, and distributes the “chunks” across independent and secure EU data centers.

In the event of a ransomware attack on the university’s systems, the fragmented data remains unusable to attackers. The university can quickly and easily restore the data, ensuring that academic and administrative processes continue uninterrupted. This not only protects against financial and reputational damage but also guarantees that the data of students and researchers remains secure and within the correct jurisdiction.

The Challenge

Logistics companies, like “Logistiek Nederland B.V.”, are highly dependent on their IT systems for operational planning, inventory management, and supply chain coordination. These systems generate large volumes of critical data, including customer orders, delivery schedules, and freight information. A ransomware attack could shut down the entire chain, from accepting orders to scheduling transport, leading to enormous financial losses. Data is often hosted in the cloud for scalability, but there are concerns about data sovereignty, especially in international operations where sensitive customer data is processed across borders.

The ChunkWorks Solution

ChunkWorks positions itself as a robust security layer for the critical data of logistics companies. By installing a “chunker” on data containing orders, inventory, and customer data, the data is encrypted and fragmented in real time. The distribution of the fragmented data across various, geographically separate data centers within the EU ensures that the data remains out of reach for attackers targeting the primary cloud environment.

This guarantees that even if the main cloud environment of the logistics provider is attacked, the critical operational data remains intact and accessible, thus ensuring business continuity and keeping the supply chain operational.

The Challenge

Online retailers and physical stores manage a treasure trove of customer data, including transaction history, personal data, and preferences. This data is essential for marketing, inventory management, and personalizing the customer experience. The retail sector is a prime target for cyberattacks, including ransomware, which can paralyze webshop systems and point-of-sale terminals. Additionally, strict rules regarding customer data privacy (GDPR) require compliance. Many retailers use a hybrid approach, with their webshop running in the cloud and their back office on their own servers, increasing the risk of data loss or theft.

The ChunkWorks Solution

ChunkWorks provides the retail sector with an impenetrable defense against data loss and ransomware attacks. By encrypting, fragmenting, and distributing the most critical data—such as customer information, financial records, and inventory data—across multiple independent locations, the data becomes unreadable to attackers. This means that even in the event of a successful breach, the stolen data is worthless.

With ChunkWorks, the retailer retains control over their data regardless of where it is stored. This allows the retailer to quickly restore online sales and the operational processes of physical stores, while ensuring customer data remains secure and sovereign at all times.