Introducing OpenTDF: Open source, accessible security for developers

At Virtru, we believe that the ability to securely share data is essential — and that privacy is a human right that must be protected. It’s a mission we have stuck by since we started in 2011, and sees us supporting over 7,000 organisations worldwide to protect their most valuable asset, their data, with Zero-Trust security and powerful, granular policy controls that tie identity to data, everywhere it moves.

Now, Virtru is giving developers a new way to build security directly into their own applications. Our new open source project, OpenTDF, enables developers to build Zero Trust data controls directly into the apps they create. Developers can access the OpenTDF project on GitHub.

OpenTDF is a versatile security toolkit that can be used to govern sensitive data as it flows through documents, IoT sensors, video feeds, and multi-party analytics. Examples of how developers can leverage OpenTDF include:

1. Safeguarding protected health information (PHI): Apps incorporating OpenTDF can equip patients to securely share medical records and documentation with healthcare providers while maintaining control over their own health information.
2. Redact content within a document: OpenTDF can be used to cryptographically enforce document redaction and secure specific portions of text based upon the security rights of the individual viewing the document.
3. Secure data relayed across IoT sensors: OpenTDF enables granular access controls down to the packet level while also preserving the integrity of that data, preventing data spoofing.
4. Encrypt real-time chat and video conferencing: Protect message content with end-to-end encryption to preserve privacy and safeguard sensitive or proprietary business information.
5. Integrate OpenTDF with other platforms: OpenTDF can integrate with Apache Kafka to secure data event streams from end to end, from ingestion to consumption.

OpenTDF is based on the Trusted Data Format (TDF), created by Virtru’s Co-Founder and CTO, Will Ackerly. TDF has long been an open spec for secure data sharing in the intelligence community, and the release of OpenTDF makes key capabilities of TDF more accessible to developers across public and private sectors, equipping them to build security and privacy into their applications from the ground up.

“Just as PDF helped accelerate digital document sharing, TDF is poised to become the standard method for securely sharing sensitive data. TDF keeps rightful owners in sovereign control of information they share regardless of file type, application of origin, or authentication mechanisms.” Will Ackerly, CTO and Co-Founder of Virtru.