Why Chip Design Data Security Matters Now
The semiconductor industry is the backbone of modern technology — from AI to autonomous vehicles to consumer electronics. But protecting intellectual property (IP) in this sector has never been more difficult.
Chip-design companies generate massive amounts of données non structurées: CAD files, EDA outputs, simulation models, and more. This technical information is both the lifeblood of innovation and the prime target for theft, leaks, or misuse. With fabless design models, global supply chains, and increasingly complex design environments, safeguarding that data is mission-critical.
In fact, Deloitte predicts that leading semiconductor firms will spend roughly US $300 million on internal and third-party AI tools for chip design in 2023, growing about 20% annually over the next four years. This increase in design-automation investment underscores how design data is growing in value and complexity, which in turn increases the urgency for data governance and protection.
Protecting Semiconductor IP Data
Semiconductor companies face a unique data problem: most of their IP lives in unstructured files scattered across SMB shares, NFS, cloud storage buckets, and design environments.
- Complex file formats: EDA and CAD files are layered, binary, and proprietary — making them difficult for traditional tools to scan or classify.
- Extension-based limits: Many data loss prevention (DLP) systems only look at file extensions. Change the extension and the protection breaks.
- Mixed environments: Fabless companies often juggle multiple design systems (vendors such as Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, Siemens) working for different clients — creating blind spots and inconsistent controls.
- Critical consequences: Without visibility, organizations face IP leakage, regulatory exposure, and competitive disadvantage.
- Emerging complexity: With AI-driven design tools becoming mainstream, the pace and volume of design data are accelerating – raising the risk of uncontrolled copies and exposure.
BigID for Chip Design Data
BigID brings a smarter, more scalable approach to données non structurées in high-tech environments. Instead of relying on brittle extension-based methods, BigID helps semiconductor organizations discover, classify, and protect sensitive design data across SMB, NFS, and cloud storage.
With advanced metadata scanning, automated sensitivity labeling, access intelligence, and data activity monitoring, BigID delivers visibility where legacy tools fall short. Teams can automatically detect CAD, CAM, and EDA files — even when extensions are changed — apply consistent labels, monitor access, and remediate exposure across design environments
- Unstructured Data Discovery: Scan and identify design files across SMB, S3, NFS, and cloud storage.
- Advanced, AI-Driven Classification: Detect CAD, CAM, and EDA files even when extensions are altered or missing using advanced, AI and ML-based classification.
- Automated Labeling: Apply sensitivity labels to protect design data and integrate with DLP for better enforcement of controls.
- Accès Intelligence : Analyze permissions to identify overexposed or risky file shares.
- Remediation Workflows: Quarantine, move, delete, or restrict access to exposed data automatically.
- Data Activity Monitoring: Track usage and detect potential suspicious activity across design environments.
Avantages et résultats
- Comprehensive discovery – Find and label CAD, CAM, and EDA files across cloud and on-premises storage.
- Protection that holds – Apply sensitivity labels even if extensions are removed or altered.
- Access intelligence – Identify who has access to sensitive design data and remediate overexposed files.
- Risk reduction – Continuously monitor data activity for early warning of misuse or unauthorized movement.
Et ensuite?
As chip design grows more distributed and interconnected, protecting design IP is no longer optional. By taking proactive steps to classify and secure unstructured data today, semiconductor companies can safeguard their most valuable assets and accelerate innovation without compromise.
Ready to rethink how you better protect semiconductor design data? Explore how BigID helps high-tech companies classify and secure unstructured data across CAD, EDA, and design environments. Mettre en place un 1:1 with one of our AI and data security experts today!
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