Oyster is a mission-driven organization that bridges that gap between companies and the world’s top talent—so everyone, everywhere, has the chance to prosper. They believe distributing work opportunities can improve the health of people, communities, local economies, and the environment.

Their vision is to spur a positive chain reaction around the world. But at their core, they are a technology company – a SaaS product – in the shape of a Global Employment Platform.

The Challenge

As Oyster grew rapidly from 200 to over 600 employees, the challenge of maintaining data protection and compliance across an expanding digital workspace became pressing. Jeff May, Oyster’s Director of Trust and Technology, faced increasing pressure to answer essential security questions: “What data do we have? Where is it? How do we control it?”

Oyster needed a way to maintain visibility and secure sensitive data across essential tools like Slack and Google Drive—without compromising productivity or slowing down workflows. The key challenge was balancing rigorous compliance requirements with a seamless, user-friendly experience for their remote-first, global team.

The Solution

Unlike conventional Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions, Metomic offered Oyster a lightweight, SaaS-native approach that delivered essential security capabilities without excessive complexity.

Oyster deployed Metomic incrementally, starting with the Slack integration. “Within two to four weeks, we were already seeing valuable alerts and insights,” Jeff said. The overall configuration required more time to fine-tune automations and customize the solution to Oyster’s operational needs, but the value quickly became evident.

“Our Slack integration was functioning at a high level soon after launch, and once Google Drive was set up, we gained critical visibility across our platforms,” Jeff explained. “From the first day, we had immediate oversight, but achieving optimal automation took deliberate adjustments.” Once in place, Metomic operated in the background, protecting data without interfering with daily activities. “Metomic addresses risks efficiently—blocking unsafe data sharing or sending alerts to users. This allows our team to remain productive while keeping our data secure.”

The Benefits of Implementing Metomic:

1. Ease of Use: Metomic’s intuitive and non-intrusive design integrated effortlessly into Oyster's workflows, helping employees maintain productivity.
2. Real-Time Visibility: Metomic provided comprehensive visibility into sensitive data across Slack and Google Drive, crucial for security and compliance monitoring.
3. World-Class Support: Oyster received dedicated support from Metomic’s team, ensuring a smooth, efficient deployment tailored to their unique needs.

Building a ‘Human Firewall’

One of Metomic’s standout features for Oyster has been its user-centric notifications. “When someone tries to share sensitive data, like personal details in Slack, they get an alert and have the option to correct it,” Jeff described. “This method subtly reinforces good data practices. Instead of merely blocking actions, Metomic educates our team, making them an active part of our security strategy—a true ‘human firewall.’”

Compliance and Customer Trust

In an industry where compliance is essential, Metomic’s functionality has been transformative for Oyster. “Security questionnaires from potential clients often focus on data protection practices,” Jeff said. “We can confidently respond, ‘Yes, we have a DLP solution in place,’ and support that claim with verifiable results. That has been crucial for establishing trust with our customers.”

The Results

While specific metrics remain proprietary, Jeff noted the substantial impact on compliance and security. “We’ve progressed from having gaps in our compliance to implementing a solid, proactive approach to data security. The visibility and control Metomic provides have been game-changing,” he shared.

Oyster’s partnership with Metomic has significantly enhanced their security framework, enabling them to scale globally with confidence. By automating data protection and engaging employees in the compliance process, Oyster ensures security remains a priority without hindering productivity. As Jeff May summarised, “Metomic has been instrumental in giving us the visibility and control we need to operate securely at scale.”

🔒Protect Sensitive Data in Google Drive and Slack: Get a Metomic Demo Today

When you integrate your SaaS applications with Metomic, you’ll have access to out of the box classifiers that detect sensitive data such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, email addresses, and more.

You’ll also have the option to create your own custom classifiers to protect sensitive data that matters to your organisation.

To find out more about how Metomic can secure your SaaS apps, book a demo with one of our security experts today.