There can be no data security without data classification – and no effective classification without modern protection tools
Today, organisations face a huge challenge: they store more data than ever before – spread across file servers, cloud platforms, databases, collaboration tools and archives. However, a large proportion of this information remains unclassified, unused and therefore largely invisible. This so-called ‘dark data’ poses one of the greatest security and compliance risks in modern IT environments.
This is particularly critical in sectors such as healthcare, financial services or public administration. In these sectors, unstructured documents, PDFs, images or log files often contain highly sensitive personal data (PII) or protected health information (PHI). Without transparency regarding where this data is located and how it is processed, neither data protection requirements nor zero-trust strategies can be reliably implemented.
From data discovery to active data security:
The combination of data discovery and data classification, which is becoming increasingly established in the market, forms the basis of modern data security. Organisations must first identify:
But transparency alone is not enough. Only through targeted protective measures such as masking, pseudonymisation or redaction can sensitive information be effectively secured – particularly in hybrid data landscapes with structured, semi-structured and unstructured sources.
This is precisely where IRI DarkShield positions itself as a comprehensive solution for modern data classification and data protection.
Protection of sensitive data across all data sources!
With the release of DarkShield Version 6, IRI is significantly expanding its platform for data protection and data masking. The solution was specifically developed to identify, classify and protect personally identifiable information (PII) in a wide variety of data formats in compliance with data protection regulations – both on-premises and in cloud environments.
DarkShield has been a pioneer in the field of unstructured data masking since 2017. The software was an early adopter in addressing sensitive information in:
This made DarkShield one of the first tools worldwide capable of specifically protecting PII even outside traditional relational databases.
Uniform data masking for structured and unstructured data:
A key unique selling point of DarkShield is its ability to protect structured, semi-structured and unstructured data using the same deterministic masking rules. This ensures that referential integrity is maintained even across different systems and business units.
This is particularly crucial for sectors with high regulatory requirements – such as healthcare, BFSI or public administration. Sensitive data can be consistently protected without impacting analyses, tests or business processes.
New features in DarkShield V6:
The new version introduces numerous enhancements that significantly improve data discovery and classification processes in particular:
The new features are particularly relevant in the healthcare sector: DarkShield V6 specifically supports the de-identification of sensitive PHI data in medical standards such as HL7, FHIR or DICOM.
AI-powered classification as a response to dark data
Modern organisations today require automated processes for identifying sensitive information. Manual classification processes are hardly feasible anymore given the growing volumes of data.
DarkShield V6 therefore increasingly relies on AI-powered detection methods and automated classification. This enables organisations to:
This approach is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the context of generative AI and DevOps. Training data, logs or test environments often contain unrecognised personal information that can pose significant risks without suitable protection mechanisms.
Part of the comprehensive IRI Voracity platform
DarkShield is part of the IRI Voracity platform and works closely with other data protection solutions:
All components utilise shared data class definitions, masking rules and management functions within the Eclipse-based IRI Workbench. This creates a central platform for secure, consistent and efficient data processing.
Efficiency meets experience: For more than four decades, our software solutions have been supporting companies in data management and data protection – technologically leading, reliable in productive use and applicable across all industries.
In use since 1978: Numerous well-known companies, service providers, financial institutions and state and federal authorities are among our long-standing customers.
Maximum compatibility: Our software supports both classic mainframe platforms (Fujitsu BS2000/OSD, IBM z/OS, z/VSE, z/Linux) and modern open system environments such as Linux, UNIX derivatives and Windows.