Cloud Compliance
Salesforce-Native · AppExchange Certified
DataMasker vs. Shield Encryption — Complementary, Not Competitive
Shield encrypts data at rest in production. DataMasker masks PII in sandboxes. Security-conscious companies use both. They solve different problems. Together they provide defense in depth.
$4.99
per user/mo
vs 20% of net spend for Shield
3 Weeks
go-live time
vs months for Shield setup
Sandboxes
Only protection scope
vs Production focus
Masked
Data transformation
vs Encrypted data
Shield protects production. Sandboxes remain fully exposed.
Shield Encryption is production-focused. It does not extend to sandboxes, and even in production, authorized users can still see real PII. DataMasker fills the gaps Shield leaves behind.
The Sandbox Exposure.
Shield protects production. Sandboxes remain fully exposed with real PII accessible to contractors and developers.

Sandbox refreshes copy all production data—including encrypted fields—into environments accessed by contractors, QA teams, and offshore developers. Shield's encryption doesn't extend to sandboxes.

"We have Shield in production, but our sandboxes are wide open. Contractors see everything."— CISO, Financial Services
The Visibility Gap.
Encrypted data is still real data. Authorized users see everything. Shield doesn't redact; it encrypts.

Shield encrypts data at rest, but authorized users with the right permissions can still view decrypted values. Contractors with sandbox access see real SSNs, emails, and phone numbers—not masked values.

"Shield is great for compliance audits, but my team still sees real customer data every day."— Salesforce Admin, Healthcare
The Automation Risk.
Real emails in sandboxes can trigger accidental blasts to customers. Shield doesn't prevent workflow execution.

Sandboxes contain real email addresses that can trigger Flows, Process Builder, and Apex workflows. A contractor testing an email campaign can accidentally blast thousands of real customers. Shield doesn't prevent this.

"We accidentally sent 500 emails to real customers from a sandbox. Shield didn't stop it."— DevOps Lead, Retail
Defense in Depth → Complete Coverage
Before

Shield in production. Exposed sandboxes. Automation risk. Incomplete compliance coverage.

→
DataMasker

Add masking layer. Protect sandboxes. Prevent accidents. Complement Shield coverage.

→
After

End-to-end protection. Safe contractor access. Compliance complete. Defense in depth.

How They Work Together
Defense in depth. Layered security.
1
Shield Encrypts Production

At-rest encryption protects production data. Compliance checkbox satisfied.

2
DataMasker Protects Sandboxes

PII masking replaces real data with realistic test data after every refresh.

3
Use Both Together

Layer encryption + masking for comprehensive defense in depth security.

4
Complete Coverage

Production + Sandbox protected. Contractors safe. Compliance achieved.

Financial Services — Defense in Depth Strategy
Shield
In Production
DataMasker
In Sandboxes
100%
Coverage
GDPR
Compliant
What DataMasker Adds to Your Shield Investment
Six capabilities that complement Shield and close your sandbox security gaps.
Core Capabilities
🗃

Sandbox-Specific Protection

Shield doesn't cover sandboxes. DataMasker is purpose-built for sandbox environments, automatically triggering after every refresh.

🕵

PII Redaction

Not just encryption—complete replacement. SSNs become XXX-XX-1234. Emails route to your test domain. Real data is gone.

🔇

Automation Muting

Prevents accidental email blasts and external system calls. Shield doesn't stop workflows; DataMasker prevents them from firing on real data.

🔐

Contractor-Safe Access

Third parties see masked data only. No exposure of real PII to offshore developers, implementation partners, or QA teams.

✍

Format-Preserving

Masked data looks real for testing. Valid email formats, real-looking names, proper phone number patterns. Testing quality maintained.

⚡

Native & Fast

5M records/hour. 100% Salesforce native. No data leaves your org. Same architecture as Shield—managed package security.

DataMasker vs. Shield Encryption
Feature DataMasker Shield Encryption
Primary use case Sandbox PII protection Production data encryption
Sandbox protection ✓ Purpose-built ✗ Not covered
Production encryption ✗ (Doesn't need to) ✓ At-rest encryption
Data visibility to authorized users Masked (fake data shown) Decrypted (real data shown)
Prevents automation accidents ✓ Automation muting ✗ No workflow prevention
Pricing model $4.99/user/mo 20% of net spend
Implementation time 3 weeks Months
Recommended use Use with or without Shield Add DataMasker for complete coverage
Do customers use both? Yes. Security-conscious companies use both Shield and DataMasker for defense in depth.
Common Questions About Using DataMasker with Shield
FAQ
Requirements
Do I need Shield to use DataMasker?
No. DataMasker and Shield work independently. You can use DataMasker without Shield, Shield without DataMasker, or both together for defense in depth.
Integration
Can I use both together?
Yes. This is recommended. Shield encrypts data at rest in production. DataMasker masks PII in sandboxes. Together they provide complete coverage across both environments.
Functionality
Does Shield mask data in sandboxes?
No. Shield encrypts data at rest; authorized users still see the real data. Shield does not redact or mask PII. Additionally, Shield is production-focused and does not extend to sandboxes.
Strategy
Which should I implement first?
DataMasker typically offers faster ROI with a 3-week go-live. Shield implementation can take months. Many customers start with DataMasker for immediate sandbox protection, then add Shield.
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