Semiconductor innovation now depends on global collaboration, not single-company efforts. Every phase – from design to production – involves third-party vendors, foundries, research institutes, and OEMs. This cooperative environment drives rapid progress but also creates major risks when sensitive assets, like circuit diagrams and proprietary files, must be shared beyond secure company boundaries.
For semiconductor companies, protecting intellectual property (IP) and maintaining regulatory compliance isn’t just a priority, but an existential need. The problem is that traditional file-sharing tools like email, FTP, and generic cloud drives were not built with persistent file-level security.
Semiconductor IP Dilemma
Chip designs, fabrication blueprints, and testing data represent a massive investment in R&D. These assets are routinely accessed across internal servers, employee devices, and by external vendors, resulting in recurring challenges:
- Inconsistent access control when files move beyond the firewall
- Data silos or version mismatches when collaborating with external vendors
- Loss of visibility over who accessed or modified files
- Increased exposure to insider threats and IP theft
The stakes are high. Semiconductor firms are consistently among the top targets for cyberattacks due to their intellectual property value and complex global supply chains. According to a 2024 Deloitte article, more than 75% of semiconductor executives indicated that investments in cybersecurity solutions or strategies generated the highest value in their organizations.
Additionally, a survey by McKinsey reported that more than half of semiconductor firms experienced a recent data breach or AI incident. While exact loss figures vary, industry sources estimate that semiconductor companies may lose between $4-7 billion annually due to IP theft, cyberattacks, and insider threats across global supply chains.
Security teams often find themselves choosing between over-restricting access (which stifles productivity) or accepting uncontrolled sharing (which risks data leakage).
Balancing Protection and Productivity with Fasoo
To address these challenges, semiconductor firms need to adopt a layered approach to secure both internal IP management and external collaboration workflows.
Fasoo Enterprise DRM (FED) keeps design files protected everywhere – downloaded, shared, or offline – with persistent encryption and access controls. FED integrates into existing operations and supports key CAD file types for semiconductor R&D.
FED also:
- Automatically applies classification and encryption at file creation or download.
- Dynamically define access permissions based on roles, groups, or file sensitivity levels.
- Blocks unauthorized actions such as printing, screen capture, or decryption.
- Tracks all user activities with encrypted documents for audit trails.
While FED provides robust file-level protection, Wrapsody eCo complements this by enabling secure file sharing and real-time collaboration with third parties. It ensures only the right people access the right data at the right time. It provides:
- Centralized, access-controlled workspaces for internal and external stakeholders
- Built-in document version control and real-time synchronization
- Automatic policy inheritance from source documents, maintaining protection even after sharing
- Detailed activity logs and file-level audit trails for regulatory and security review
How this Works in Practice:
- A chip design engineer exports a confidential layout file for review.
- The file is automatically encrypted and restricted by FED, ensuring only authorized users can open it.
- The team uses Wrapsody eCo to create a shared workspace with the external foundry.
- The external partner accesses the file securely, edits are version-controlled, and all actions are logged.
As a result? IP remains under control without slowing down project timelines.
Innovate Securely, Collaborate Confidently
In an industry where speed-to-market defines competitiveness and IP defines value, semiconductor companies cannot afford to rely on outdated data protection models. By combining internal document protection (FED) with external sharing safeguards (Wrapsody eCo), they can close the security gaps without slowing down innovation.
Innovation starts with secure collaboration. Fasoo ensures your data remains your asset.