The Cloud Assumption
Most modern software assumes internet connectivity. SaaS models depend on it. But significant portions of sensitive data processing must happen offline:
- Government classified networks - Air-gapped by policy
- Healthcare systems - Local processing requirements
- Financial trading floors - Network isolation for security
- Defense contractors - ITAR/EAR compliance
- Data sovereignty mandates - Data cannot leave jurisdiction
For these environments, SaaS-only PII tools are non-starters.
Data Sovereignty Requirements
China PIPL
China's Personal Information Protection Law requires data localization for certain categories, security assessments for cross-border transfer, and explicit consent for international processing.
Processing Chinese citizen data through US-based SaaS may violate PIPL.
GDPR Data Transfers
Post-Schrems II, EU-US data transfers require Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), Transfer Impact Assessments, and supplementary measures.
For highest-sensitivity data, organizations prefer local processing.
Industry Regulations
| Industry | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Healthcare (HIPAA) | Some covered entities require local processing |
| Finance (SOX) | Audit data may require domestic processing |
| Government | Classified data cannot touch public internet |
| Legal | Attorney-client privileged data often restricted |
The Air-Gap Reality
Air-gapped networks have no internet connection by design. This prevents data exfiltration via network, remote attacks, and unauthorized cloud uploads.
But it also prevents cloud-based PII detection, API calls to external services, and SaaS application access.
Any PII tool requiring internet connectivity is unusable.
SaaS-Only Tool Limitations
No Offline Mode
Most SaaS tools require authentication to cloud servers, send data for processing, and cannot function without connectivity. Even "on-premise" deployments often phone home.
Data Transmission Risk
SaaS processing means data leaves your network, is transmitted over internet, processed on vendor infrastructure, and potentially stored in vendor logs.
Vendor Dependency
Vendor outage means no processing. Vendor sunset means scrambling for replacement. Pricing changes impact budgets. Security breaches expose your data.
The Offline Solution
cloak.business Desktop App provides full offline capability:
| Component | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Framework | Tauri (Rust backend, web frontend) |
| Processing | 100% local, no network calls |
| Models | Bundled spaCy, Stanza, transformers |
| Storage | Local encrypted vault |
| Updates | Manual install (no phone home) |
Full Feature Parity
- All 317 pattern recognizers
- All 48 language models
- All 5 anonymization methods (including reversible encryption)
- Batch processing (1-5,000 files)
- Audit logging (local)
No features are cloud-only.
Real-World Use Cases
Defense Contractor
A defense contractor processes personnel records containing Social Security numbers, medical information, security clearance details, and financial data.
Requirements: Process on classified network (air-gapped), no data transmission, full audit trail, ITAR compliance.
Solution: Install Desktop App on classified workstations, process locally, export anonymized documents, maintain audit logs. No cloud dependency.
China Data Processing
A multinational company processes Chinese customer data including names, addresses, Chinese Resident ID numbers, and contact information.
Requirements: PIPL compliance (local processing), no cross-border transfer, Chinese-specific identifier detection.
Solution: Deploy Desktop App in China office, process locally, Chinese Resident ID and language NER included. Data never leaves China.
Hybrid Deployment
Organizations can use both online and offline solutions:
| Environment | Solution |
|---|---|
| Standard office network | Web App, Chrome Extension |
| Air-gapped classified | Desktop App |
| China operations | Desktop App (local) |
| Development (connected) | MCP Server |
| Development (isolated) | Desktop App |
Same detection engine across all deployments. Consistent results whether online or offline.
Offline Capability Comparison
| Tool | Fully Offline? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud NER services | Require API calls | |
| SaaS PII tools | Require authentication | |
| Presidio (self-hosted) | Requires setup/maintenance | |
| cloak.business Desktop | Ready-to-use, no setup |
Key Takeaways
- Air-gapped environments exist and matter - Government, defense, healthcare
- Data sovereignty mandates local processing - PIPL, GDPR, industry regulations
- SaaS-only tools cannot serve these markets - No connectivity = no function
- Full offline capability is essential - Not degraded mode, full features
- Hybrid deployment serves diverse needs - Online and offline, same engine
Sources
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