Content and file management cloud service Box has unveiled a set of features for admins to control access to shared content called Box Shield.

This will include «intelligent» threat detection capabilities and safeguards to prevent accidental data leaks and the misuse of shared files.

The rapid rise of cloud computing has led to greater collaboration, both internally and externally, for most businesses which has resulted in a greater risk of security breaches.

Popular collaboration platforms like Slack have also recently announced more advanced security controls in recent weeks and Box Shield is following that trend.

«Box Shield is a huge advancement that will make it easier than ever to secure valuable content and prevent data leaks without slowing down the business or making it hard for people to get their work done,» said Jeetu Patel, chief product officer at Box.

«With Box Shield, enterprises will receive intelligent alerts and unlock insights into their content security with new capabilities built natively in Box, enabling them to deploy simple, effective controls and act on potential issues in minutes.»

According to the company, Box Shield prevents accidental data leaks through a system of security classifications for files and folders, which can be operated manually or automated. Account administrators can define and customise the classification labels to suit their workflow.

Shared links can have restrictions, with labels that control who can see it both internally and externally. This is also the case for downloads, applications and FTP transfers. There’s also limit controls on collaborations, restricting non-approved members to edit or share certain content.

Box Shield will also come with functions to detect abnormal and malicious behaviour from both internal and external potential threats. This is a machine learning-based service that detects anomalous downloads, suspicious sessions and locations where a compromised account is detected.

«At Indiana University (IU), sensitive information changes hands thousands of times each day on our campuses with over 100,000 users and thousands of collaborators around the world,» says Bob Flynn, manager, cloud technology support at IU.

«With the introduction of Box Shield, we can apply native data classifications and design policies aligned to our own business and compliance rules. By protecting content with precision, we can help IU reduce risk without compromising speed and collaboration.»

Box Shield is in private beta at the moment, but it is due to become generally available in the Autumn.