Glasswall launches tool to sanitise Microsoft 365 files

Glasswall has introduced a new storage monitoring product for Microsoft 365 that automatically sanitises files stored in services such as SharePoint and OneDrive in an effort to block malware hidden in collaboration platforms.

The company said the launch responds to growing risk in cloud-based file sharing, where malicious documents can sit undetected in shared repositories before being accessed or forwarded inside an organisation.

Glasswall Storage Monitoring sits within the firm's existing Content Disarm and Reconstruction, or CDR, platform. It focuses on files that move into or reside in Microsoft 365 environments, which many organisations now use as a central hub for internal and external collaboration.

When a user uploads a file to a supported Microsoft 365 service, the monitoring system retrieves that file and sends it to the Glasswall Halo platform. Halo then sanitises the content. The system replaces the original with a version that Glasswall describes as clean and fully functional.

The process operates in real time and runs in the background. Glasswall said it does not interrupt user workflows or require staff to take additional steps when sharing or storing files.

Cloud blind spots

Security teams have grown more concerned about attacks that arrive through routine document and media exchange rather than through more visible channels such as email. Collaboration platforms have become a preferred target as firms store growing volumes of sensitive content in shared cloud locations.

"Research shows that nearly one in three data breaches begin with a malicious file, organizations think they're protected, but stored files often bypass detection until it's too late," said Paul Farrington, Chief Product Officer, Glasswall. "With collaboration tools now central to enterprise productivity, the sheer speed of file sharing exposes organizations to significant risk. Traditional detection technologies and manual inspection cannot keep pace."

Glasswall pitches its approach as different from methods that scan for known malware signatures or suspicious behaviour. The company said CDR treats every file as untrusted and focuses on rebuilding it against a safe standard.

At the core of the storage product is the same CDR engine that Glasswall already supplies to government and defence customers. The engine does not attempt to identify specific strains of malware. It removes all active content and reconstructs documents so they comply with expected file structure rules.

Files keep their original format and remain usable after reconstruction, according to the company. Administrators can also set policies for situations where the system cannot safely sanitise content.

Glasswall said this approach reduces reliance on detection tools that only flag threats once a pattern is known or an anomaly appears. That model can leave a gap between the time an attacker introduces a malicious file and the point where it triggers alerts.

Zero Trust push

The new monitoring feature extends Glasswall's Zero Trust file protection model, which has so far seen strongest adoption in security-sensitive sectors. The company's CDR technology is mandated as a file filter in certain Cross Domain Solutions used by US national security bodies.

Glasswall now aims to mirror that level of protection for everyday business use through integration with widely deployed Microsoft 365 services.

"By extending Zero Trust protection to Microsoft 365 environments, we are enabling organizations to ensure that files are continuously monitored, sanitized and restored to a safe state," continued Farrington. "This brings the same protection trusted by national-security agencies directly to the everyday business user," said Farrington. "We're raising the baseline for what 'secure collaboration' should mean."

The company positions Storage Monitoring as part of a broader shift away from reactive defences. That trend reflects concerns that sophisticated attackers increasingly design file-based threats that evade conventional antivirus and sandboxing checks.

Glasswall said the new product will suit both government agencies and commercial organisations that are already standardising on the Microsoft 365 suite. The firm expects demand from sectors that handle sensitive or regulated data and that face strict requirements for controlling information flows through cloud services.

The company plans further development of its CDR platform and integrations so that file sanitisation extends across a wider range of collaboration and storage tools.