EchoMark Launches AI-powered Solution to Safeguard Private Communications in the Digital Age

First-of-its-kind forensic watermarking technology sets new data privacy standards; fosters stewardship and trust from within while enabling near-instant identification of insider threats

KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EchoMark, the company pioneering an unprecedented approach to information protection, announced today the public launch of its AI-driven solution to keep private information private. EchoMark automatically embeds invisible forensic watermarks in emails and documents, enabling source identification within minutes. As the first enterprise-grade software of its kind, EchoMark's invisible watermarking is a proactive deterrent against leaks.

EchoMark also announced a $10 million seed investment led by Craft Ventures, accelerating the company's mission to expand its forensic watermarking technologies across formats and workloads.

The frequency and severity of data breaches and leaks have undermined the bedrock of online communication, even within the world's most sophisticated organizations. Insider threat incidents surged 44% in the past two years with a single data breach now costing $4.45 million on average. According to Gartner®, by "2025, insider risk will cause 50% of organizations to adopt formal programs to manage it, up from 10% today."¹

"EchoMark is not just filling a critical and urgent market gap; we're creating a solution that never existed before," said Troy Batterberry, founder and CEO of EchoMark. "Communication is the foundation of any organization, and when people can't trust it, the entire structure crumbles and the external ramifications can be pervasive. Consider the Dobbs leak—a year, 126 formal interviews, and a 23-page investigative report later, the Supreme Court still can't locate the internal source, eroding trust from within and among citizens. EchoMark could have confidently identified the source in under five minutes. We're thrilled to officially bring these capabilities to organizations around the world."

EchoMark's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution redefines data security. It seamlessly safeguards information while promoting trust and enabling unrestricted collaboration for any organization. Using EchoMark is simple:

1. Deploy protection instantly–without interrupting anyone or anything: In less than five minutes, EchoMark can be deployed without any content disruption, end-user training, or manual inputs. It integrates seamlessly with major email systems (no client software needed) and operates silently in the background, injecting personalized forensic watermarks on emails and PDFs.
2. Customize privacy to enhance operations: EchoMark settings tailor the solution to diverse cohorts, use cases, and needs, promoting effective communication while safeguarding operations. For instance, in addition to invisible watermarking, an organization can activate visible watermarks to signify the technology's presence and further deter leaks, promoting internal stewardship and trust.
3. Identify the source within five minutes: By uploading compromised data and initiating the process, EchoMark's AI-powered forensic watermark technology rapidly and conclusively pinpoints potential insider threats and enables swift action. Through advanced natural language analysis and copy/paste detection, EchoMark achieves a near 100% accuracy rate in identifying inside threats, even in cases of document alterations, from screenshots to manual rewrites. EchoMark eliminates the need for protracted internal investigations.

Leading organizations, including the global auction house Christie's and the venture capital firm Craft Ventures, use EchoMark to protect and enhance their private communications.

"Christie's has long been committed to securing the privacy and protection of our clients' information," said Ben Gore, Chief Operating Officer at Christie's. "We are constantly in search of new and innovative technologies that can enhance our already robust protocols, and we are excited to explore the possibilities that EchoMark's solution offers."

"EchoMark's application of computer vision and perturbation technology is creating a new standard in information security," said Brian Murray, partner and Chief Operating Officer at Craft Ventures. "Companies and organizations gain precision visibility into their information security and bad actors are thwarted by a new, omniscient deterrent. It's an elegant application of new technology to solve one of the most vexing and expensive challenges facing the enterprise." 

¹Gartner®, "Strategies for Midsize Enterprises to Mitigate Insider Risk," Paul Furtado, 19 April 2023
Gartner® is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About EchoMark: 
EchoMark is a first-of-its-kind information protection SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) company that is pioneering a new standard for information protection. EchoMark's AI-powered, patent-pending solution embeds personalized forensic watermarks in documents and emails, safeguarding, rather than disrupting, private communications while promoting internal stewardship to deter leaks. EchoMark was founded in 2022 by Troy Batterberry, a tech industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, including roles at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Sony, and Microsoft, where he served as the product leader for Teams Meetings as Corporate Vice President. Learn more at www.echomark.com.

SOURCE EchoMark