A Boston law firm just deployed LeapFILE’s secure file transfer solution to its hundreds of lawyers, legal assistants and staff. The implementation was made easier with the use of LDAP (“Lightweight Directory Access Protocol”) to integrate with its Active Directory.

Most large enterprise view LDAP as providing easy and instant user creation, master password management, and single sign on for end users. All of that is true, but the most important reason is often overlooked – enhanced data security over corporate data.

I was reminded of this critical corporate requirement by our Boston law firm customer, whose primary driver was meeting compliance with arguably the toughest state data protection law, Massachusetts section 201 CMR 17.00. The statute requires businesses to put in place a protective system to prevent unauthorized access to personal information… as well as encryption for all data containing personal information transmitted through the public network or wirelessly.

If you examine data privacy and security statutes, whether they are of the state, Federal or industry varieties, you’ll find one operative word common among all the regulations -- “unauthorized”. This makes sense since these regulations are attempting to protect against data breaches.

So how exactly does LDAP help corporate enterprise prevent data breaches? By providing the following:

1. Passwords never leave your network;
2. Unified corporate password policy enforcement;
3. Real time account termination;
4. Unified access login; and
5. Supports encrypted passwords.

What does this mean in the actual workplace? Imagine a senior partner who has accumulated many years of work product and sensitive client information, and then abruptly leaves the firm to join a competitor. If the partner continues to have access to corporate applications and documents, that would not be good for the firm on competitive terms AND bring them potentially out of compliance.

Imagine now, with LDAP, IT management terminates the partner’s access to all applications and records, even before escorting him out of the building, banker’s box in arms, and tail between his legs. Powerful IT administration tool, indeed. Peace of mind for corporate management.