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US government agencies have realized that businesses also need space to work with classified data.
Historically, secret information centers (SCIF) - specialized premises for working with confidential information, belonged only to US government agencies and were intended for the country's top leaders, diplomats and intelligence officers.
However, in 2017, the US Congress amended the defense budget act, calling on the Department of Defense to reconsider approaches to the creation of SCIF. This was due to the fact that not only government agencies, but also contract performers of the Pentagon, as well as business structures need the opportunity to work with classified documents.
As a result, private companies began to allow the construction of SCIF, although with the mandatory participation of US intelligence services. This process took several years, but now startups offering office rentals for confidential meetings are actively developing in the United States.
According to Jay Marwah, CEO of Syntasa, unlike public SCIFS, private offices can offer customers a variety of amenities: from simple but comfortable furniture to spacious rooms with coffee machines, sofas and high-speed Internet. Often they are also located in more convenient locations.
However, private SCIFS must meet all federal safety requirements, including special arrangements for walls, floors, doors, and windows. These and other conditions are spelled out in more than 200-page regulations.
Building a SCIF costs twice as much as a typical office, and not every company can afford it. In order not to buy such premises for a lot of money, companies prefer to rent them. For example, Syntasa leases SCIF from a company called Westway, which has offices in various cities, and plans to open a new center in Colorado.
Nooks also operates in the market with about 150 locations in different states, and Crystal City offers mobile SCIFS that can be customized to meet specific customer requirements and delivered anywhere in the country.
In the US, data classification is divided into three levels: "top secret", "secret" and "confidential", each of which requires certain security measures. Although most customers in the market are unlikely to need a room to discuss "top secret" documents, private SCIF owners are willing to provide services even at this level.
As TMG's Colin Madden points out, in the face of increasing geopolitical instability and growing cyber threats, the demand for SCIF remains high. More and more companies are considering entering this market, which, while still niche, attracts both startups and established players in the real estate market.
Historically, secret information centers (SCIF) - specialized premises for working with confidential information, belonged only to US government agencies and were intended for the country's top leaders, diplomats and intelligence officers.
However, in 2017, the US Congress amended the defense budget act, calling on the Department of Defense to reconsider approaches to the creation of SCIF. This was due to the fact that not only government agencies, but also contract performers of the Pentagon, as well as business structures need the opportunity to work with classified documents.
As a result, private companies began to allow the construction of SCIF, although with the mandatory participation of US intelligence services. This process took several years, but now startups offering office rentals for confidential meetings are actively developing in the United States.
According to Jay Marwah, CEO of Syntasa, unlike public SCIFS, private offices can offer customers a variety of amenities: from simple but comfortable furniture to spacious rooms with coffee machines, sofas and high-speed Internet. Often they are also located in more convenient locations.
However, private SCIFS must meet all federal safety requirements, including special arrangements for walls, floors, doors, and windows. These and other conditions are spelled out in more than 200-page regulations.
Building a SCIF costs twice as much as a typical office, and not every company can afford it. In order not to buy such premises for a lot of money, companies prefer to rent them. For example, Syntasa leases SCIF from a company called Westway, which has offices in various cities, and plans to open a new center in Colorado.
Nooks also operates in the market with about 150 locations in different states, and Crystal City offers mobile SCIFS that can be customized to meet specific customer requirements and delivered anywhere in the country.
In the US, data classification is divided into three levels: "top secret", "secret" and "confidential", each of which requires certain security measures. Although most customers in the market are unlikely to need a room to discuss "top secret" documents, private SCIF owners are willing to provide services even at this level.
As TMG's Colin Madden points out, in the face of increasing geopolitical instability and growing cyber threats, the demand for SCIF remains high. More and more companies are considering entering this market, which, while still niche, attracts both startups and established players in the real estate market.
