When enterprises discuss document encryption, the most common concern is not whether encryption is possible. It is whether everything will be encrypted once the feature is enabled. If every file is handled the same way, daily editing and collaboration can become difficult, while the files that truly need stronger protection may disappear inside an overly broad policy. For enterprises, ideal document encryption software should not simply turn files into ciphertext. It should identify which files are actually sensitive, which scenarios require stronger protection, which files should remain broadly usable, and then apply encryption to the data that genuinely carries higher risk.
That is the difference between broad encryption and precise encryption. Broad encryption is about coverage. Precise encryption is about accuracy. The former often increases business friction. The latter requires the system to understand sensitive content, file types, and usage scenarios, and to apply stronger protection where it truly matters without undermining usability. If document encryption software cannot do that, it usually creates one of two problems: important sensitive files are missed, or too many ordinary files are encrypted unnecessarily.
Why enterprises need precise encryption instead of one-size-fits-all encryption
Sensitive files inside an enterprise do not always stay in one fixed directory. They may be contracts, financial reports, engineering documents, customer data sheets, or temporary files that arrive through WeChat, third-party tools, or shared paths. What makes a file sensitive is often not its extension alone, but its content, origin, and usage context. If encryption policy is applied only by folder or only by application, misclassification becomes very likely.
At the same time, many files do not need to be encrypted from the moment they are created. They only need stronger protection after they match sensitive keywords, rule combinations, or higher-risk usage scenarios. Enterprises do not need to lock everything indiscriminately. They need to identify sensitive information accurately from a large document base and then apply stronger control to those files without disrupting normal work.
The key is not only encryption itself, but identification, triggering, and verification
A workable precise-encryption strategy needs at least three layers. The first is a clear definition of what counts as sensitive content. The second is a way to connect that definition to document encryption policy so encryption is triggered automatically when the rules match. The third is a way to verify that the strategy actually worked, including endpoint encryption records, file security attributes, and confirmation that files landing through third-party paths were still brought under protection.
Without the first layer, the system does not know what to protect. Without the second, even well-defined rules remain manual and disconnected from enforcement. Without the third, the enterprise cannot confirm whether precise encryption is really happening on the expected files. To be genuinely precise, document encryption software has to connect all three layers.
How to use Ping32 to implement precise encryption for sensitive files
1. Start by defining what a sensitive file is in the data classification library
Administrators should first go to Start -> Libraries & Templates -> Data Classification -> Add and maintain the keyword and classification rules in the data classification library. Here they can define classification names, sensitivity levels, and under Application Type specify disk type, file size, file attributes, scan scope, and relevant file categories. Under Data Conditions, they can add keyword or regular-expression rules, along with occurrence counts and mandatory or non-mandatory conditions.
This step determines how accurate later identification will be. For example, an enterprise can define one category using combinations such as contract terms, customer names, and amount fields, while keeping separate classes for financial reports, personal information, or engineering content. Unless the system first knows what “sensitive” means, later intelligent encryption cannot become precise.
2. Enable intelligent encryption in document encryption policy so rules can trigger encryption automatically
After the classification library is prepared, administrators can open the document encryption policy page, go to Policy -> Document Encryption -> Other Settings, enable Intelligent Encryption, click Parameter Settings, select the relevant sensitive-content rules, then save and apply the policy. According to the manual, intelligent encryption combines sensitive content analysis with document encryption technology, using keywords and regular expressions to identify sensitive information in endpoint files and then applying mandatory encryption and centralized control to matched files.
This changes encryption from something tied only to fixed paths or fixed user groups into something driven by content matching. For enterprises with many documents, varied content, and high manual classification cost, that is the core of practical precise encryption.
3. Configure semi-transparent encryption first so intelligent encryption has the right prerequisite
The Ping32 manual also makes clear that before intelligent encryption is enabled, the relevant applications should first be configured with Semi-Transparent Encryption. Administrators can go to Document Encryption -> Policy, enter the Transparent Encryption configuration page, set Encryption Mode to Semi-Transparent Encryption, choose the authorized applications, and apply the policy. After that, they should go to Document Encryption -> Authorized Software, open the relevant software and process, and in Advanced Settings clear the option Always use transparent encryption mode if a high-risk action is triggered, then apply the change.
This step is important because precise encryption is not meant to encrypt every file created by that application from the start. It is meant to let the file remain broadly usable at first and then allow intelligent encryption to intervene when sensitive-content rules match. In office environments that rely on WPS Office, Excel, and similar applications, this prerequisite determines whether intelligent encryption can actually work as intended.
4. Add automatic encryption for third-party landing paths so sensitive files do not bypass the chain
Sensitive files do not always originate inside Office applications. They may also land on endpoints through WeChat or other third-party tools. To avoid letting those files bypass the protection chain, administrators can first confirm that transparent encryption is enabled, then go to Other Settings in the document encryption policy page and enable File Discovery Action. In Parameter Settings, they can add a rule, set Operation Type to Encrypt, define the relevant path and file types, and in advanced settings prefer Monitor Directory File Changes.
This allows files that arrive through chat or third-party folders to be brought into the precise-encryption scope as well. For an enterprise, precise encryption does not mean protecting files from only one source. It means making sure that sensitive files are identified and protected no matter how they reach the endpoint.
5. Verify the result through transparent encryption records and file attributes
After the policy is delivered, administrators can go to Document Encryption -> Transparent Encryption/Decryption to review endpoint records and use time filters, search, and export to confirm which endpoints and files have generated corresponding events. If they also want endpoint-side confirmation, they can go to Document Encryption -> Policy -> Other Settings -> Shell Extension, enable Display Encrypted File Attributes, and let users check File Owner, Classification Level, and Security Domain under the file’s Properties -> Document Security tab.
Precise encryption should never stop at “the policy has been applied.” Only when administrators can confirm matched events in the records and verify the resulting file attributes can the enterprise know which sensitive files are truly being protected and which rules still need refinement.
The value of Ping32
The key value of Ping32 is not simply that it can encrypt more files. Its value is that it connects sensitive-content definition, rule-triggered encryption, coverage of third-party landing scenarios, and result verification into one complete flow. The data classification library defines what is sensitive. Intelligent encryption applies protection when those rules match. Semi-transparent encryption preserves usability in business workflows. File discovery action covers side-path file intake. Transparent encryption records and file attributes provide verification.
That means enterprises no longer evaluate document encryption software only by asking whether encryption is supported. They can instead ask whether the software can accurately find and protect the files that actually matter. In environments that must balance security and usability, that is much more practical than encrypting everything indiscriminately.
FAQ
Q1: Why is it not enough for document encryption software to encrypt by folder or application alone?
Because sensitive files do not always stay in one folder, and they are not always produced by one application. Whether a file is truly sensitive often depends on its content, rule matches, and how it reached the endpoint. Folder-only or application-only encryption is therefore prone to both gaps and overreach.
Q2: Why does Ping32 intelligent encryption require semi-transparent encryption first?
Because the goal of intelligent encryption is not to encrypt every file from the first moment. Its goal is to apply stronger protection after sensitive-content rules match. The manual explicitly notes that relevant applications should first be configured for Semi-Transparent Encryption so intelligent encryption can work in the intended way.
Q3: How can an enterprise verify that precise encryption is actually working?
It can verify from two directions. First, administrators can review Document Encryption -> Transparent Encryption/Decryption records to confirm that the expected events were generated. Second, they can enable encrypted file attribute display and check file ownership, classification, and security domain on the endpoint itself. Together, those checks confirm whether rule matching and final protection are aligned.
Contact
10 min 
