Part one · What it is
A safe for the documents
people send you — built so a
break-in finds only ciphertext.
SDS collects sensitive documents from the people outside your organisation, stores them encrypted, and lets the right people inside and outside read them — without an unprotected copy ever being transmitted between systems. SDS is designed so that if documents are exfiltrated, they remain unreadable ciphertext.
Same documents. The difference isn't a promise — it's the architecture.
The problem
Every copy is an exposure point
Sensitive documents reach you by email, fax, messaging apps and ageing portals. Each method leaves unprotected copies scattered across inboxes, devices and servers — every one of them a way in.
When stolen documents can be read
Fraud and financial harm. Mandatory breach notification. Regulatory scrutiny. Reputational damage. The breach is a harm event.
When stolen documents cannot be read
Stolen files are designed to remain unreadable ciphertext. The attacker does not obtain readable content from the stolen storage copy. As a result, the document-content harm that normally follows bulk document theft is prevented. Legal, regulatory and notification consequences depend on the full circumstances of the incident.
Prevention — walls and firewalls — fails eventually. SDS is about what happens after the wall is breached.
What it does
Three things, done once, done properly
Collects
External parties submit through a secure link on your website. No account, no app, no password. Everything is encrypted before it leaves their device — you keep using ordinary email or SMS just to send the link.
Stores
Documents are held permanently in an encrypted state. For the great majority that never need editing, SDS is the destination — not a waystation. Editable files can be downloaded under controlled conditions.
Makes accessible
Authorised people — your staff and outside parties like specialists or advisors — open the same encrypted document inside SDS. Granting access creates no copy and transmits no file between systems.
In SDS, “document” means any file — identity scans, images, spreadsheets, PDFs, signed forms — not just traditional documents.
Why it's different
Team access without weakening the encryption
The trade-off most systems force
Either one person holds the key — and if they leave, no one else can open the documents. Or a master key exists — and one stolen key opens every document.
SDS removes that choice. Multiple authorised staff open the same encrypted documents with no master key and no vendor backdoor. You get team access, oversight, handover and immediate revocation. If a staff member leaves, their access is cut off at once. If the vendor is breached, there's no master key to steal — a breach yields only ciphertext. Salvanote cannot read your documents, even if asked.
Part two · How it works
From sender, to your team, to shared access
Five steps. Step through them — watch where the document lives at each stage. It is never an unprotected file outside someone's device.
A secure link reaches the sender
Honest about the edges
What SDS does not protect against
No system covers everything. Being clear about the boundary is part of why the rest can be trusted.
A camera pointed at the screen
If someone photographs a document while it's displayed, that's outside what any software can stop.
A device compromised mid-session
If an authorised person's device is taken over while they're signed in and viewing, SDS can't prevent that.
Files once downloaded out of SDS
A downloaded editable file leaves SDS protection — shown clearly with an on-screen warning. The encrypted original stays protected.
Someone misusing access they're given
SDS controls who has access — not what an authorised person chooses to do with it.
Where it sits
Against the ways documents arrive today
| Email / file share | Self-storage vaults | SharePoint + labels | SDS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collects from outside parties | Yes — unprotected | No — self-upload only | Limited — tenant access | Yes — encrypted |
| Encrypted at rest | No | Sometimes | Yes — Microsoft keys | Yes |
| No unprotected copies | No | N/A | No | Yes |
| Multi-party access, no backdoor | No — admins can read | Rarely | No — MS-managed keys | Yes |
| Vendor cannot read documents | No | Often | No — MS-managed keys | Yes |
| No account needed to send | Sender not verified | Account required | Tenant access required | Yes — sender verified |
Architected with frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2 and GDPR in mind. Formal certification has not yet been obtained.
The next step
Try it with your team — then decide
A structured 60-day evaluation on one workflow of your choice. Nothing to install, and no changes to your existing systems.
- One department or document workflow, your choice
- No cap on participating staff
- Guided onboarding — about 5 minutes per person
- Joint review at day 45, full support throughout
- USD $50 per active staff user / month for the pilot
- No lock-in — no exit fee, no data held hostage