Security and Data Handling Requirements for ITAR-Controlled Digital Content
- Sebastian Cron - Quality Manager
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) place strict requirements on how organizations manage and secure technical data related to defense articles and services. Mishandling digital ITAR content can lead to severe penalties, loss of business, and reputational harm. To stay compliant, organizations must implement strict controls around who can access the data, where it is stored, and how it is transmitted. This means creating a secure environment for data storage and handling throughout the entire translation workflow (on both the client and the translation provider side).
Core Requirements for ITAR Data Handling
1. U.S. Person Access Only
Access to ITAR content is restricted to U.S. persons (citizens, permanent residents, or protected individuals). This applies both to employees and contractors, as well as to any external vendors or linguists who might interact with the content. This is an important consideration when it comes to translation as it can be extremely challenging to find a qualified translation resource that is a U.S. person. Particularly in low-resource languages, and when dealing with highly technical content.
2. Secure Data Storage
ITAR content must be stored on servers located within the United States.
Cloud providers must certify ITAR compliance or offer GovCloud/sovereign hosting options. This adds a particular challenge in incorporating AI translation solutions as the primary AI translation solutions (Google Cloud, AWS, DeepL) cannot guarantee U.S. based hosting.
Data must be encrypted at rest (e.g., AES-256) and encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+).
3. Controlled Network Access
ITAR environments must operate on a segregated network that prevents accidental cross-traffic to non-ITAR systems.
Remote users should only connect via secure remote desktops or ITAR-compliant VPNs. This is important for translation resources to be able to compliant as they are very likely to access the content, and complete the translation process, via a remote workstation.
Endpoints must be hardened with:
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
Session monitoring and logging
4. Data Transmission
ITAR files should never be transmitted via public email, generic cloud storage, or collaboration tools.
Approved transfer methods include encrypted SFTP, secure portals, or air-gapped media when digital transfer is not possible. Your translation services provider will likely have a secure option for data transfer.
5. Monitoring and Audit
Full audit logging of who accessed, modified, or transmitted files.
Regular compliance reviews to ensure controls remain in place.
Best Practices Checklist
✔ Confirm all users accessing ITAR data are U.S. persons ✔ Host all ITAR systems on U.S.-based servers ✔ Encrypt data at rest and in transit ✔ Use isolated ITAR networks with MFA + VPN ✔ Employ secure transfer methods (SFTP/portal) ✔ Maintain audit logs for compliance
Final Thoughts
Building an ITAR-compliant network isn’t just a security measure—it’s a legal requirement. Companies working with ITAR-controlled digital content must ensure that their infrastructure, processes, and vendors all align with compliance standards. Investing in a secure, monitored environment ensures both regulatory protection and peace of mind when handling sensitive defense data.
AI and the future - AI-assisted human translation workflows are becoming the standard. Usage of AI under the ITAR restrictions is extremely limited. It is helpful to discuss AI usage with your translation provider and determine whether they have an option that fits within the restrictions as this may help you achieve budget and timing goals. If you're interested in learning more about AI and ITAR please contact us.