PCB LEAKS: PCB Vulnerabilities For Online Gerber hide PCB files on an online platform, a critical aspect of cybersecurity for numerous engineers and designers who have to upload project and sensitive data to the internet read more While online Gerber platforms make it more convenient for PCB designers to view, share and collaborate on designs, they also bring into perspective the issue of data protection. As cyber threats continue to rise by almost 50% from one year to the next, users need to know just how secure their data is on these platforms.
The majority of trustworthy Gerber viewers use secured data encryption protocols like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or HTTPS that encrypt data from your computer to the server. This extra layer of protection makes it so that sensitive data such as PCB layouts cannot be intercepted by a third party when transmitted. SSL encryption helps against “man-in-the-middle” attacks — A common method of cyber-attack is for an unauthorized user to listen in on the communications between two parties. Not all platforms are using this since they need to verify if your browser is even registered under HTTPS, so you must ensure that the website being used has HTTPS in the browser URL.
File Security: File security is also affected by data storage policies. Some platforms keep files for a limited time period and automatically delete them after X hours/days (e.g. 24-hours) while others may store files forever. Compared to keeping data for longer, temporary file retention increases security as it limits exposure of data. They also prioritize platforms that delete data quickly to mitigate the damage of a potential breach and the unauthorized access to its most sensitive information assets. For example, NextPCB has an online Gerber viewer that provides temporary storage to promote user privacy.
Another important security measure is user authentication. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security by requiring additional verification steps beyond just a password. Studies have shown that MFA reduces occurrences of unauthorized access events by 99.9%. MFA is a feature of platforms that makes sure even if somebody steals login information, unauthorized users are unable to access sensitive files. Without these additional security layers, engineering teams can become vulnerable to compromising environments if their credentials are leaked.
Advanced data access control in some Gerber platforms prohibits open access to any and all of the service’s resources depending on role or permission level. This could mean restricting access per team member (i.e., only certain people can edit or download PCB files). As great as collaborative environments can be, quite often several users need to view or edit files containing crucial information, so access control systems are here to provide protection against unapproved use of sensitive data.
Moreover, data breach insurance cover on few of the high end online platforms is now a basic addon which ensures that even in the event of a security breach occur, its financial impact is absorbed as well. This type of coverage will help reduce potential losses if there is a leak in sensitive data. With the cost of a data breach climbing to an averageof $4.24 millionin recent years, insurance coverage can be a major selling point for manufacturers who have high-stakes projects running over your online Gerber viewer platform.
The recommendation of industry professionals in gerber website purchase deals is to use well-established platforms with a good reputation and user comments. Engineers should be able to choose platforms that have expansive security features like an SSL encryption, temporary storage, user authentication and access control so they can apply a few safeguards to sensitive designs. While no platform will ever truly be completely secure and silver bullet proof, picking a secure one minimizes risk greatly.
To summarize, although the online Gerber platform offers convenience and ease of use, users need to compare security features of each platform due to data safety. Certainly, renowned platforms like NextPCB’s online gerber viewer implement numerous features to protect user PCB files, thus making them reliable when it comes to data protection.