--- title: "Keep Intellectual Property Secure Offline | Off… | Firevault" description: "Protect source code, designs, research and trade secrets with Offline Secure Storage. Physically disconnected storage for intellectual property that must not…" lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Protect what matters with Offline Secure Storage and control what moves with Control by Firevault. 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Physically disconnected storage for intellectual property that must not…", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/images/og/og-base-home.jpg" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/oss-for-intellectual-property#breadcrumb" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/oss-for-intellectual-property#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fire-vault.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Keep Intellectual Property Secure Offline", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/oss-for-intellectual-property" } ] } ] --- Recent Breaches Breaches [2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Lidl GB Customer contact data ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Asahi Group Production systems disrupted ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Kido International 8K records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](/learn/breaches)[2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Lidl GB Customer contact data ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Asahi Group Production systems disrupted ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Kido International 8K records ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](/learn/breaches)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](/learn/breaches) [View All →](/learn/breaches) [![Firevault - offline secure storage, physically disconnected from the internet](/assets/logo-color-DBVl0KCg.png)](/) Products Solutions [Why OSS](/why-oss) More [Help](/help)[Get started](/get-started) Overview How IP leaksThe principleEvidenceIP checklistWhat goes offlineAccess and controlWhen it mattersChoose protectionQuestions Offline Secure Storage® (#OSS) for intellectual property # Offline Secure Storage for intellectual property. _The work nobody can recreate._ Source code, designs, formulations, research data, models and trade secrets. The value of intellectual property depends on exclusivity, so the master copy should not sit permanently reachable on a connected network. [Protect your intellectual property](#checklist) [See what belongs offline](#choose) Offline Secure Storage Exclusivity protection Controlled sharing Provenance evidence ![Offline Secure Storage for intellectual property.](/assets/hero-bg-vault-DgOJhMSO.jpg) Offline by default What creators protect ### The work that cannot be recreated. Engineering**Source and builds** Design**Designs and creative** Research**Research data** Secrets**Trade secrets** Legal**IP registrations** Provenance**Creation evidence** Storage**Dedicated hardware** Access**Controlled by you** When closed**No standing network path** A simple ownership question ## If your intellectual property were copied tonight, would you know, and could you prove it was yours? Intellectual property rarely disappears. It is duplicated, and its value falls the moment somebody else holds it. **01** ### A departing employee copies work. Credentialed access to a connected repository makes exfiltration ordinary rather than exceptional. **Insider risk** **02** ### A supplier is compromised. Design files shared for manufacture or development are exposed through somebody else's estate. **Supply chain** **03** ### Research is exposed early. Publication, funding or filing advantage is lost because material leaked before it was protected. **Competitive loss** **04** ### Provenance is disputed. You created it first, but the evidence of when and by whom is scattered across systems. **Legal risk** The Firevault principle ## The problem is not only theft. It is that your most valuable work is permanently reachable. Designs, source code, formulations and research usually live where collaboration is easiest. That convenience is also the route an attacker, a departing employee or a supplier can follow. If the master copies of your intellectual property sit physically outside the estate, theft requires physical access rather than a credential. **Select → Secure → Disconnect → Access when required** ### A path that does not exist cannot be used No repository, no sync client and no share leads to the master copy while the vault is offline. ### Detection is not prevention Monitoring tells you that files moved. Disconnection means there was nothing to move. ### Version masters deserve a different state Working copies can stay online. The definitive record of what you created does not have to. ### Proof of possession matters later Recorded retrieval and dated custody support disputes, filings and due diligence. The intellectual property checklist ## Identify the work that carries the value. Not every file is intellectual property. Start with the material that would cost the most to lose exclusively. Your IP inventory ### Six areas most organisations already hold. Use this as a first-pass inventory before deciding which Firevault product fits. **Engineering → Design → Research → Secrets → Legal → Provenance** What you build ### Engineering - ✓ Master source repositories - ✓ Build artefacts - ✓ Architecture documents - ✓ Toolchains - ✓ Technical specifications What you design ### Design - ✓ Master design files - ✓ CAD and production files - ✓ Brand and creative masters - ✓ Prototype records - ✓ Supplier drawings What you discover ### Research - ✓ Experimental data - ✓ Models and training data - ✓ Laboratory records - ✓ Results and analysis - ✓ Unpublished findings What you protect ### Trade secrets - ✓ Formulations - ✓ Processes and methods - ✓ Pricing algorithms - ✓ Know-how documentation - ✓ Competitive analysis What you register ### Legal - ✓ Patent filings - ✓ Trade mark records - ✓ Assignments - ✓ Licence agreements - ✓ Confidentiality agreements What you can prove ### Provenance - ✓ Creation timestamps - ✓ Contributor records - ✓ Version history - ✓ Approval evidence - ✓ Chain of custody The Firevault difference ## Collaboration is not the same as custody. Teams have to work together on live material. Firevault holds the master copies and evidence where continuous reachability creates unnecessary risk. Everyday and connected ### Keep collaboration where it helps. Connected tools are right for active development and iteration. - • Active repositories and branches - • Work in progress designs - • Shared project material - • Everyday review and comment - • Live team collaboration Important and offline ### Give exclusivity a different state. Master copies and evidence can be available when required without remaining permanently reachable. - ✓ Master source and builds - ✓ Design and production masters - ✓ Unpublished research - ✓ Trade secret documentation - ✓ Provenance and filing evidence **Access controls limit who may read intellectual property online. Firevault removes the path to the master copy entirely.**Online when you need it. Offline when you do not. Custody, sharing and evidence ## Control who can reach the master copy. Intellectual property protection has to survive staff changes, partners and disputes. Custody, controlled sharing and provenance are separate problems. VERIFIED OWNER PROJECT LEAD LEGAL OR PARTNER SUCCESSION ROUTE The owner holds custody. Selected files can be released to a partner or legal adviser without exposing the whole vault. No standing repository access ### Custody, sharing and provenance are different things. Firevault separates them so protecting the master copy does not slow the team working on the live one. **One vault per user**Custody is linked to a verified individual rather than a team credential. **Release, do not expose**Share a specific design, dataset or document with a named recipient. **Recorded history**Retrievals and access windows are logged, supporting provenance and dispute evidence. This is not only about theft ## Useful across the lifecycle of the work. Filing, funding, manufacture and litigation all depend on holding the definitive copy and proving it is yours. Patent filing ### Hold the definitive record. Creation evidence and drafts retained beyond the working environment. **Legal** Manufacturing ### Share drawings without losing control. Suppliers receive what they need, not the master archive. **Supply chain** Funding round ### Evidence what you own. Registrations, assignments and provenance available for diligence. **Growth** Team change ### Survive departures. Custody does not leave with the person who held the credentials. **Insider risk** Litigation ### Prove first creation. Version history and access records support the claim. **Dispute** Archive ### Preserve retired work. Completed projects retained without staying permanently reachable. **Retention** Evidence and guidance ## Trade secret protection depends on the measures you can demonstrate. Legal protection for confidential information is tied to reasonable steps taken to keep it secret, and national guidance points to separation. [Trade Secrets (Enforcement, etc.) Regulations 2018 Protection applies to information subject to reasonable steps by the holder to keep it secret. Read the source](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/597/contents) [NCSC NCSC guidance recommends holding critical copies offline and separate from the connected estate. Read the source](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/offline-backups-in-an-online-world) [NPSA The National Protective Security Authority advises protecting high-value research and design assets with physical as well as digital controls. Read the source ](https://www.npsa.gov.uk/) Who this applies to ## Where intellectual property exposure appears most often. Concise routes into the industry and audience pages where this need appears most often. [Business and teams](/oss-for-business) [Professional services](/oss-for-professional-services) [Investment and M&A data](/oss-for-investment-and-ma) [Ransomware-proof recovery copies](/oss-for-ransomware-recovery) [Protect customer data](/oss-for-customer-data) [Control third-party access](/control-for-third-party-access) The Firevault response ## Offline Secure Storage®, then the product that fits the volume. This page is about the exposure. Capacities, access models, specifications and pricing sit on the product pages so you can choose once the requirement is clear. Offline Secure Storage® Offline Secure Storage holds master copies of your intellectual property on dedicated hardware that is physically disconnected until you ask for it. [Why Offline Secure Storage](/why-oss) ### Vault On-demand access to a digital safe deposit box for design libraries, code archives and research datasets. [Explore Vault](/vault) ### LUV A low use vault for formulations, filings and definitive master copies, reached on a nominated access day. [Explore LUV](/luv) ### Storage Scalable offline capacity from 20TB upwards, designed with the solutions team around your requirement. [Explore Storage](/storage) Why Firevault ## Access control on top. Physical separation underneath. Exclusivity is the value. Physical disconnection protects it directly. **01** ### Physical storage Offline Secure Storage instances are held on dedicated physical hard drives, not in S3 cloud buckets, shared storage pools or multi-tenant infrastructure. Your selected data is assigned to real hardware, with dedicated RAID 1 drives providing resilience. **02** ### Physical ownership Each Offline Secure Storage instance is allocated to a specific customer, with dedicated physical capacity and clearly defined ownership. Your data is not pooled, commingled or held within a shared storage estate. **03** ### Physical control Access begins outside the normal network path. An authorised out-of-band command, such as SMS, controls the physical Layer 1 connection to your #OSS instance. When access is not required, that network path is physically disconnected. **04** ### Physical security Your #OSS hardware is housed in carefully selected, professionally managed data centres with layered physical security, resilient power and environmental controls. Access is tightly controlled using three-factor authentication, including biometric identification, supported by 24/7 monitoring, restricted access zones and a complete audit trail. Firevault Bunkers provide jurisdictional physical resilience across our international infrastructure. Questions technical teams ask ## Before you move master copies offline. The goal is protected custody without blocking the work. Will this slow our development team? No. Active repositories stay where they are. Firevault holds master copies, releases and evidence rather than the working branch. Can we share a design with a supplier? Does this help in a dispute? What about AI models and datasets? Which product suits an engineering archive? Protect the work that carries the value ## Start with the master copies that would be most damaging to lose exclusively. Offline Secure Storage from Firevault. Online when you need it. Offline when you do not. [Protect your intellectual property](#choose) [Talk to Firevault](/contact)