The Encryption Era: Three Trends Reshaping How We Protect Sensitive Unstructured Data

Encryption is no longer a niche feature. It’s the new baseline.

Across industries and government, one principle is becoming non-negotiable: if your data isn’t encrypted at the source, it’s vulnerable. These aren’t just more files in transit, but the lifeblood of your business: the unstructured data scattered across documents, slides, emails, and AI pipelines.

Let’s break down three trends driving this shift - and how Confidencial helps you lead, not lag.

Trend 1: Encrypted Is the Default. Even the FBI Thinks So.

In 2021, the FBI issued guidance that explicitly recommended using “secure messaging apps that offer end-to-end encryption”. That’s not just a fringe opinion; it’s a public acknowledgement that plaintext communication is a security liability, and you can’t rely on other people’s defenses to keep your data safe.

This shift isn’t limited to chat apps. It’s part of a broader recognition: sensitive information should never exist in an unencrypted state outside of its intended destination.

Most organizations are still focused on protecting structured data, such as databases, SaaS platforms, and application programming interfaces (APIs). But the bigger risk lives in unstructured content: presentations, contracts, IP files, and sensitive memos. Many estimates suggest that unstructured data makes up 80-90% of total data stored, so it’s only logical that this is where many insider thefts, classification misconfigurations, and AI data leaks originate.

Confidencial brings selective encryption to this blind spot, allowing you to lock down individual paragraphs, redacted sections, or complete files - automatically and at scale. It’s the same end-to-end protection offered by WhatsApp and Signal, but for the critical documents and content flowing through your enterprise.

Trend 2: Cloud Adoption Now Comes With Conditions

“Move to the cloud” used to be a strategy. Today, it’s a risk vector, unless encryption comes first.

Organizations want flexibility, scalability, and AI-readiness. But they don’t want to lose control. According to IBM’s 2023 Data Breach Report, cloud misconfigurations were the top cause of data breaches, averaging $4.75 million per incident.

At the same time, concepts such as data sovereignty, Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC), and confidential computing are gaining traction. Enterprises, especially in regulated industries, are no longer willing to store sensitive data in someone else’s environment unless:

• It’s encrypted before upload

• Keys are held internally

• Access is tightly controlled

  
  

Confidencial makes all three possible. We encrypt sensitive content before it reaches the cloud, ensure persistent encryption policies follow the data, and let you retain full key control. Your data always stays usable but never exposed.

This balance is critical for global enterprises, legal firms, AI development teams, and others that need to collaborate securely without compromising compliance.

Trend 3: Cross-Border Transfers Require Clawback Control

Once data is shared, most security tools lose visibility, and even more importantly, they lose control.

That doesn’t work for regulators anymore. In the U.S., Executive Order 14117 signals a serious shift in how the government views foreign data transfers and national security risks. It’s not just about who can access what, but how quickly access can be revoked if necessary.

Meanwhile, GDPR, China’s PIPL, and a growing stack of regional privacy laws are pushing companies to implement jurisdictional restrictions, more robust audit trails, and active enforcement of data localization policies.

This means that encryption alone isn’t enough anymore. You also need:

• Granular access controls

• Revocation capabilities

• Auditability across environments

  
  

Confidencial delivers all of it. We let organizations enforce country-specific access rules, revoke document access post-share, and generate cryptographic proof of compliance, all without relying on perimeter security or manual workflows.

This isn’t a bolt-on feature. It’s the foundation for operating securely in a cross-border, cloud-first, AI-powered world.

Where It’s All Going for Sensitive Unstructured Data

These trends aren’t slowing down; they’re accelerating and converging.

Regulators are enforcing. Boards are asking hard questions. And the rise of generative AI only adds urgency: if sensitive data enters the wrong training workflow, there’s no unringing the bell.

Confidencial was built for this moment. Born from DARPA-funded research at SRI International, we bring patented selective encryption and intelligent data controls to the documents and workflows most traditional tools ignore.

We help you:

• Discover and classify sensitive unstructured data

• Encrypt only what’s needed (and nothing more)

• Enable AI and analytics workflows securely

• Comply with EO 14117, GDPR, CCPA, and beyond

Final Word: Encrypt First. Share Second. Monitor Always.

You can’t bolt on security after the fact.

You can’t trust the cloud without control.

You can’t comply with modern regulations using outdated tools.

The future belongs to encryption-first thinkers and operators. Confidencial helps you get there, without sacrificing usability, collaboration, or innovation.

Ready to see how it works?

Book a demo or get your free data risk assessment.