Rights Management Software

BrenTech is a Microsoft Certified Partner, Certified in Advanced Networking Infrastructure Solutions

From Microsoft:

RMS helps organizations safeguard confidential information from unauthorized use. Working with RMS-enabled applications, RMS helps protect information through persistent usage policies, which remain with the information, no matter where it goes.
 

 

The risks of information leaks in a digital world.

In an increasingly digital world, the risk of having confidential information accidentally or intentionally get into the wrong hands is growing.

·   Loss of confidential information can cause significant damage to organizations. These damages may include loss of revenue, competitive advantage, and customer confidence.

·   Security methods such as firewalls and Access Control Lists (ACLs) help prevent unauthorized access to information. Encrypted delivery helps protect information in transport. These methods, however, stop protecting the information once the authenticated individual has accessed or received it. 

·   Organizations are looking to augment their security strategies by providing persistent protection that remains with the information no matter where it goes.

RMS is information protection technology.

Microsoft® Windows® Rights Management Services (RMS) for Windows Server™ 2003 is information protection technology that works with RMS-enabled applications and browsers to help safeguard digital information from unauthorized use.

·   RMS combines Windows Server 2003 features, developer tools, and proven security technologies–including encryption, Extensible Rights Mark-up Language (XrML) -based certificates, and authentication–to help create reliable information protection solutions.

·   RMS provides protection beyond perimeter-based or transport-based security technologies by continuing to help protect the information after it has been accessed or delivered.

Safeguard sensitive information.

RMS helps safeguard confidential information from unauthorized use–both online and offline, inside and outside of the firewall.

·   Information workers can define exactly how the recipient can use the information, such as who can open, modify, print, forward and/or take other actions with the information.

·   Organizations can create centralized custom usage policy templates such as “Confidential - Read Only” that work with any RMS-enabled application and can be applied directly to information such as financial reports, product specifications, customer data, and e-mail messages.

Apply persistent protection.

RMS augments security by protecting information through persistent usage policies, which remain with the information, no matter where it goes.

·   If a recipient accidentally forwards rights-protected information or loses a diskette with a rights-protected file, the information will be safe from unauthorized use because the protection lives with the information.

Flexible and customizable technology.

Through flexible deployment options and developer tools, organizations can tailor their information protection solutions to fit into their existing infrastructure.

·   RMS allows organizations to safeguard sensitive information with any RMS-enabled application including line of business, database-driven, and Web-based applications.

·   RMS lets organizations tailor solutions to fit specific back end system requirements through flexible deployment options, from single-box deployments to global distributed topology.

 

Flexible administration gives IT better management options.

·   Manage confidentiality policies better through centrally defined and officially authorized templates that help users efficiently apply a predefined set of usage policies.

·   Manage the RMS environment effectively through centralized administration, auditing, revocation, and exclusion.

·   Rights Management Add-on (RMA) for Internet Explorer can allow users to view rights-protected information in a browser.

·   Out-of-the-box RMS-enabled application support in Microsoft Office 2003 Editions (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

 

How RMS works.

Establishing trusted entities.

·        Organizations can specify the entities, including individuals, groups of users, computers, or applications that are trusted participants by their RMS server.

Assigning rights to information.

·   Using an RMS-enabled application, users can easily assign rights, such as read-only, to their digital information. These rights reside in a publishing license which is attached to the information.

Distribution and licensing.

·   The application then encrypts the information and the publishing license together. The information and rights remain encrypted during transport, extending protection beyond the organization’s network.

Viewing rights-protected information.

·   When the recipient opens rights-protected information, a request is made to the RMS server to validate the user’s credentials and usage rights. A use license (specifying the rights that apply to the information) is issued and the RMS-enabled application enforces the usage rights defined by the author or template.

RMS system requirements.

Features and functionality described require Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003, Active Directory® services, Internet Information Services (IIS), a database such as Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000, and an RMS-enabled application (such as Microsoft Office 2003 Editionsi).

RMS includes client and server software along with SDKs.

RMS server technology handles the XrML-based certification of trusted entities, licensing of rights-protected information, sub-enrollment of servers and users, and administration functions.

RMS also includes:

·   Windows Rights Management client software.

·   Software Development Kits (SDKs) for the client and server.  

For an end-to-end solution, the following is necessary:

·   Windows RMS for Windows Server 2003

·   Windows Rights Management client software

·   RMS-enabled applications or browser

SDKs allow developers to create RMS-enabled applications.

·   RMS uses XrML which allows developers to build RMS-enabled applications with a high level of granular rights and conditions of information protection, ranging from simple usage restrictions (print, forward) to complex conditions and restrictions (multiple principals, expirations).

·   The server SDK includes Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) interfaces providing developers a simple and standard way to integrate enterprise rights management into existing data storage and information management systems, mapping to the systems unique architecture, interface, and user experience.

·   Other servers (content management systems, portal servers) can be enabled to take advantage of RMS functionality.

The application programming interfaces (APIs) in the client SDK allows developers to build custom client applications, such as line-of-business applications, to fit how an organization does business.