Data security is a major concern for all organizations. With today’s world of international hackers, social media tracking, and overreaching government surveillance, it’s important to know how your organization can protect its data.
With this in mind, we put together this frequently asked questions (FAQs) document to answer questions as to how DataPoint works with data security in your organization.
What exactly is DataPoint?
DataPoint is an add-on for PowerPoint that helps PowerPoint connect to and show data from 1,000s of different data sources in real-time.
It allows you to create interactive slideshows that display live data from your database or spreadsheet.
It is used for reporting, digital signage, digital dashboards, menu boards, and many other purposes.
Here is a DataPoint demonstration video that shows some of its capabilities.
Has DataPoint Been Scanned for Malware?
Yes, our software has been scanned multiple times by multiple security programs before it is deployed for download.
In our development environment, we use the latest versions of all our Windows software and all of our development computers are protected by the latest antivirus and malware scanners.
What does DataPoint do with my data?
DataPoint only makes a connection between your data and your PowerPoint program so that you can show your data in PowerPoint and have your presentation updated as you make changes to the original data source. To connect to your data, you just choose the data source file or URL you want to connect to.
Can PresentationPoint See My Data?
No, we don’t see your data at all.
First of all, for files on your network, the connection is made only between your computer and your own file server. Your data never leaves your network. We do not receive your data at all.
In the event of Internet-based data such as XML, JSON, or MySQL, the connection is directly between your computer and the source, using the URL provided by your data source. Once again, the data doesn’t flow through us.
Is there a DataPoint or Data Cloud?
No, the connections are direct and no data comes to us. There is no DataPoint data cloud.
Does DataPoint Send Anything Out At All?
Yes, like most software, our DataPoint plugin does ping our license server from time to time to make sure your software is up-to-date and properly licensed. No data other than license information and software version number is sent out.
How Do I Know DataPoint Can Be Trusted With Our Data Security?
If you’ve read through the earlier questions, you know that your data doesn’t flow through us and we have no access to your data.
Our company has been operating for over 25 years (since 1998). We are proud to say that many of the world’s top organizations trust our software where data security is critical. Here are just a few:
- NATO
- US Air Force
- US Army
- US State Department
- FBI
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- NASA
- IBM
- Sony
- Barclay’s Bank
- Bank of America
- British Airways and many others
My Information Technology (IT) department has restricted software installs on my company’s computers so I can’t install DataPoint. What should I do?
The best approach is to get our software approved by both your management and IT department before installing.
Step 1: Management Approval
For management, you will need to make a business case as to why the software is important, and how it will allow you to automate, and save time and money. Our case studies area is great for this as it has a large number of real-life examples showing how companies in a wide range of industries are benefitting from DataPoint.
If you are planning for multiple licenses for your team, we would be happy to provide a live online demonstration for your management team and your IT department. Contact us to arrange a live demo.
Step 2: IT Department Approval
Once you have management approval for DataPoint, your IT department is next. Here are some ways to get their approval:
- Point them to this document so they better understand that DataPoint doesn’t affect data security.
- Suggest they download a free trial of DataPoint for data security testing.
If there are any additional questions they have, have them contact us directly so our technical developers can alleviate their concerns.
Remind them that this is something management has approved and is needed for your projects so they can expedite the installation approval.
Other Questions?
Do you have other questions we didn’t answer here? Contact us and we would be happy to help.
