PortAuthority Technologies

About PortAuthority Technologies

PortAuthority Technologies, founded in 2000, developed security software designed to control and prevent the leakage of sensitive corporate information. The company, formerly known as Vidius, offered solutions to stop the unauthorized transmission of confidential data through outbound email, internal networks, and web communications by monitoring and enforcing security policies.

The core of their offering was the PortAuthority appliance, a hardware solution built for automated policy enforcement. This system did not require any client-side software. It featured PreciseID technology, which was designed to accurately protect both structured and unstructured data across more than 300 file formats, even if the data was manipulated, such as through copy-and-paste or file renaming. The technology provided visibility and control over data moving through email, web traffic, and even networked printers.

The company's solutions were aimed at mitigating the risks associated with information leaks in high-risk business scenarios, such as protecting intellectual property and ensuring vendor access did not lead to data breaches. In January 2007, PortAuthority Technologies was acquired by Forcepoint (at the time, a subsidiary of Websense) for approximately $90 million, integrating its data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities into Websense's broader security offerings.