Methods and systems for data self-protection

A system for enabling data self-protection, the system comprising:

• at least one computer system, wherein a computer system of the at least one computer system comprises a processor, the computer system has a sentry installed thereon, the sentry comprising a file system filter installed on a kernel of that computer system, the file system filter integrating mandatory access control and encryption together;
• and,
• a central sentry platform in electronic communication with the sentry installed on the computer system, the central sentry platform being separate from the kernel of the computer system;
• wherein, in operation:
• the central sentry platform sends a data self-protection policy to the sentry, the data self-protection policy being encrypted so that the data self-protection policy can only be modified by the central sentry platform;
• the file system filter controls access to encrypted data stored on the computer system, by, for each process making a file access request to the encrypted data, the file system filter receiving and handling that file access request according to the data self-protection policy to grant or deny that file access request;
• the central sentry platform monitors the sentry and receives information from the sentry regarding access to the encrypted data stored on the computer system.