Do you use Siemens NX and Solid Edge? Here’s how you can protect your CAD files leveraging your investment in Microsoft

Digitalization and Automation are like two facets of the same coin that are changing the face of the design and manufacturing industry. As collaboration increases, product design is becoming extensively cross-designed.

Siemens Solid Edge is one such software platform that delivers value, flexibility, and choice to address the unique challenges of the design industry. This is because the cornerstone of this platform is its market-leading computer-aided-design (CAD) application.

Solid Edge with synchronous technology is the only CAD tool that provides freedom to design naturally and iteratively with ease. In today’s highly connected digital environment, interoperability is no longer an option but is an essential element and Solid Edge enables collaboration for next-generation product design.

Siemens NX software is a flexible and powerful design solution that helps companies deliver better products faster into the market more efficiently. Siemens NX supports every aspect of product development, from concept design to prototype through engineering and manufacturing.

The Different Collaboration Strategies in Manufacturing

There are four types of collaboration strategies that manufacturing industries follow:

In collaborative manufacturing, all these systems are linked so that information can be shared with interested parties.

With options for sharing and collaboration being plenty, and tools have evolved to a stage where real-time information exchange is possible, challenges are many. When shared externally, critical enterprise protections are lost.

Inefficient manual processes force enterprises to apply data protections manually each time CAD files are exported, downloaded, or accessed outside of the corporate network. Also, these CAD files when shared externally with project stakeholders outside of the corporate network do not have full data protection; thus increasing the risk of theft and data breach. Today users too want a seamless experience, access to their data from any location and any device.

The information especially sensitive information created and shared requires businesses to adopt new processes like Zero Trust and technologies like data-centric security to appropriately protect their sensitive CAD file data.

Inside PLM systems, CAD files are protected by PLM security policies. When shared with external parties, these files require the same PLM security profile for protecting the data in uncontrolled IT environments.

The main challenge for an efficient collaboration process is to automatically map the PLM security to the access and usage controls of the corresponding DRM protection template. Without efficient and reliable external protections for CAD data, the ability to share and collaborate with partners and vendors critical to project success is hindered.

Digital Rights Management solution is key to providing the flexible access control and usage rights needed to enable the protection that modern collaboration scenarios require.

HALOCAD along with World-class Digital Rights Management solution Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) provides the right balance to protect intellectual property and confidential sensitive information stored in Solid Edge 3D designs.

How HALOCAD addresses the CAD security challenges in Solid Edge & NX?

HALOCAD solves this challenge for CAD and PLM environments by automating Microsoft Information Protection (MIP), the unified platform for a companywide DRM and part of M365 E5 Compliance. This provides an edge over all other similar applications by:

1. Enables Automatic protection – HALOCAD automatically applies MIP protection labels to CAD files during check out from the PLM system vault. It blocks CAD requests from unauthorized users, saving time and reducing the risk of data breaches.
2. Enforces permissions inside of the application – HALOCAD enables the opening of MIP-protected files inside the CAD application and enforces permissions inside of the applications.
3. Automatically Decrypts – It automatically decrypts CAD files at PLM Check-in(CAD files in PLM are not encrypted)
4. Provides data protection – HALOCAD strengthens PLM multi-CAD integrations with data protection using AIP
5. Supports CAD file translator encryption – supports encryption for CAD translator file types (IGES, STEP, etc) and facilitates interoperability across CAD platforms
6. Supports Multi-Cad environment – Many organizations have been developing advanced products using CAD systems from different providers or systems of different classes. As a result, these organizations face the difficult challenge of managing incompatible CAD data. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a coherent environment for cooperation, regardless of the types of data. HALOCAD not only supports a multi-cad environment but also supports complex assembly use cases.
7. Provides HALOCAD Reader Plug-in for free and grants read-only permissions to collaboration partners
8. Gain greater MIP Value – Extend the discovery, classification, labeling, and monitoring capabilities provided by MIP, ensuring the protection of sensitive CAD data shared outside of the network
9. Ensures secure collaboration – Collaborate with partners, suppliers, and others knowing your sensitive data is protected
10. Provides always-on protection – HALOCAD provides always-on protection and ensures the continuation of data compliance policies with external stakeholders.

HALOCAD supported file types for Siemens products

CAD applications

PLM applications

CAD Viewers

How HALOCAD meets CAD/PLM Integration Challenges

SECUDE’s HALOCAD DRM now extends data-centric security across PLM and Multi-CAD integrations. It now supports the following PLM Multi-CAD integrations:

Requirements for Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MPIP)

It is recommended to use Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MPIP ) with unified labeling to label and protect drawing files. The following prerequisites for configuring and operating HALOCAD must be met.

See How HALOCAD^® Protects Your Intellectual Property Watch Video Request a Demo