Integration brings Zero Trust Data Format (ZTDF) file protection natively into Mattermost, enabling mission teams to collaborate securely without compromising data security
Palo Alto, CA, and Washington D.C., July 28, 2026 — Mattermost, the leading open source collaboration platform for defense and mission-critical teams, today announced a strategic partnership with Virtru, the leader in data-centric security and pioneer of Zero Trust Data Format (ZTDF) technology. The integration enables national security and intelligence community organizations to apply persistent, cryptographic file protection directly within Mattermost workflows — supporting implementation of the Department of War’s Zero Trust Strategy and associated guidance, as well as key data protection requirements associated with CMMC and NIST SP 800-171.
As the DoW drives Components toward Target Level Zero Trust and Defense Industrial Base organizations face increasing pressure to align with zero trust principles, mission teams face a critical challenge: existing collaboration tools were not built to enforce data-centric security at the point of communication. The Mattermost-Virtru integration addresses this gap directly. When a user uploads a file in Mattermost, they are prompted to classify it and apply handling restrictions. The file is then wrapped in a ZTDF-protected container via Virtru, enabling encryption and policy-based access controls designed to persist with the data as it moves across users and environments.
In the joint architecture, Mattermost serves as the policy enforcement point and Virtru as the policy decision point — a design aligned with DoD Zero Trust principles and the ZTDF standard recognized by the intelligence community (IC-TDF) and ACP 240.
"Zero Trust is no longer aspirational for national security teams, it's a mandate. What makes this partnership significant is the level of control it brings to data-centric security: collaboration where sensitive files are protected based on who can access them, under what conditions, and for how long,” said Jason Blais, Mattermost VP Product & NATO Alliances. “This is exactly what modern mission operations require, and it's what Mattermost and Virtru deliver together.”
“Secure collaboration is essential for mission success. It cannot be a chokepoint that comes at the expense of intelligence sharing. Through this partnership with Mattermost, teams can protect sensitive files at the moment of sharing, with controls and policies that persist wherever the data needs to travel,” said John Ackerly, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtru. “This is what the Zero Trust mandate requires: security that is data-centric, mission-ready, and built for the speed and complexity of modern defense operations.”
See it at Black Hat and DoDIIS Worldwide
Mattermost will be featured in the Virtru booth (#3407) at Black Hat USA (August 1–6, 2026, Las Vegas Convention Center). Attendees can see a live demonstration of the Mattermost-Virtru integration, including the full ZTDF file protection workflow within an operational mission environment. To schedule a meeting or learn more, visit https://www.virtru.com/meet-virtru-at-blackhat-2026
The integration will also be on display at Virtru’s booth (#1408) at the 2026 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference, from August 9–12, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the integration up close and learn how the Virtru platform and Mattermost can support secure, data-centric collaboration and policy-driven information sharing across national security workflows. To schedule a meeting and see more, visit https://www.virtru.com/meet-virtru-at-dodiis2026
Availability
The Mattermost-Virtru integration is available now. For more information, visit https://www.virtru.com/partners/technology/mattermost.
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