Fusion 360 ITAR compliant

[Collin_Korver]

We are working on getting our ITAR compliance and fusion 360 is not compliant due to items being saved on the cloud. Why doesn't fusion 360 just make a preference to "save everything locally" I cant imagine it would be that hard. As it stands I am likely going to drop fusion 360 because it it isn't compliant. 

I was told months ago they were "working on it"

[Collin_Korver]

Just to be clear. Autodesk recognizes this is a problem for a lot of customers, but will not commit to deliver a solution? 

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@daniel.pacific wrote:

We have recognized this a big gap for a lot of customers and are looking into it. There is no commitment to deliver a solution for it, to be clear.  

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[Collin_Korver]

Bump

[seth.madore]

Bump? What more do you want? We don't have a date, it's not a simple "flip a switch" and there are some large resource costs tied to this. It happens when and IF it happens.

/thread

[Collin_Korver]

I would project the retention of current and potential new business would cover the cost to get this implemented. heck you could even make it a paid feature. I really just want to use fusion 360 on projects that require ITAR compliance, instead of purchasing another software. However I can make that happen. tier 1 scenario I would to have a meeting set up with someone who can make change happen and I plea my case. and a timeline be set but that's a bit idealistic. 

Tier 2 solution someone at autodesk help me manipulate the background of Fusion so only things I want get uploaded to the cloud. 

Theoretically, all the files can be stored in the cache folder instead of being uploaded.  I could work in offline mode and anything I work on would be exported and the file deleted from the cache folder. I want some assistance in figuring out how to make this workflow and validating that nothing is being uploaded.

[seth.madore]

Create a file, do all your work needed. File > Export > Save to local folder.

File > Open > Open from computer. Do more work. 

File > Export > Save to local folder. Overwrite file.

Quick and dirty ITAR compliance.

It sucks, but that's the process I'm using for my own ITAR needs (which are quite serious companies I work for)

[Collin_Korver]

How do you work around the inability to drop fixtures into an unsaved design?

[Collin_Korver]

are you sure it doesn't get saved into a cache folder and will be uploaded when the software comes back online?

[seth.madore]

Files are not uploaded to the cloud when there is no destination (Data Panel folder/project) to upload to.

Fixtures: I don't. Keep it simple, I may draw a few blocks to represent the overall fixture. Jaws are super quick to model up. If your work moves into the absolute need for fixtures, then you may be out of luck with this process.

-EDIT-

On the other hand, if it's vises and the like, you can easily open that up, export it out and use that as your initial "open from computer" step.

[Collin_Korver]

So export the vice,  open the vice, then how do i get the part into the vice file? when you 'open file from computer' it pulls it up into its own design

[seth.madore]

Ah. Almost all my parts are easy enough to redraw from scratch..

[Collin_Korver]

Unfortunately almost all of my projects would not be easily recreated.

@daniel.pacific @al.whatmough 

I would like to request a brief phone call on this compliance topic. 

Please DM me, I would very much like to talk over the phone to someone.

[VCpro]

This a much more complicated issue than what most people think.  My best guess at what will likely happen is that the ITAR requirements will eventually be updated or better defined to allow for cloud solutions with the proper kinds of end to end encryption or something along those lines.  This would make the possibility for a software solution like Fusion to be used for ITAR specific work more realistic.  I do not think you will see this happen one direction, but as a combination of ITAR data rules/restrictions being updated or better defined and Autodesk filling in the gaps to to get there.  This would be, at best, years away imo.

If you can not do what you need using Fusion in offline mode or using a workflow like what @seth.madore mentioned earlier with your ITAR parts, then Fusion is probably not the right tool for you at this time.

[seth.madore]

Product Design and Manufacturing Suite is $2,700 a year. That would get you immediate local storage via use of InventorCAM. It's not chump change, but it is cost of doing business in this realm of manufacturing.

[al.whatmough]

@seth.madore   Thanks for all your help on this ITAR issue, it isn't easy.

@Collin_Korver  I will applaud Seth for his work on trying to find creative ways for you to keep using Fusion given the current constraints.

I know this isn't the answer you want to hear, but trust me when I say "Solving for data sovereignty (not just ITAR) in the world of the cloud, is the thing that keeps me up at night" 

It is a VERY high priority for us, and not one that is as simple as just saving files locally, I wish it was.

The truth is, as a publically traded company, we can't make claims on unreleased products that drive your decision to buy our product today, that's just not allowed. (I don't like jail)

What I can say is, today:

• Fusion doesn't save locally
• We arn't working on plans to support local saving of data
• We DO Fully understand the need for providing ITAR approved methods of storing data in the cloud.  However, I can't provide timelines to if or when that will be delivered.

What are your options:

• Use Inventor CAM for your ITAR work.  (You can share you tools, posts, and even templates)
• Use a competitive CAM solution
• Use one of the workarounds seth has provided. 

Listen, I don't want to lose your business, I am not trying to push you away.  We want you to use Fusion.

With that said, I want to be 100% honest with you about where we are today and how important this issue is to us.

I hope this helps.   

Al

[Anonymous]

Exactly this "This a much more complicated issue than what most people think. "

this might give you more info

https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/itar-compliance-in-the-age-of-on-demand-hpc/

It is a very difficult one answer doesn't fit all scenario

[JDatWhizCAD]

Al,
could you please provide an update to the latest ITAR compliance issue with Fusion 360. Is it still in background with no dates available or is there some sort of road map you could provide us.

[chrisdavid605]

Until some government entity starts dinging company's for using unregistered cloud you can forget about it being on the roadmap. I walk into shops with multi year NDA contracts using fusion and have to explain to owners that they are sharing proprietary information with an unauthorized party. The enforcement on these things will just boil down to when a large enough breach will occurs. The real scam of the whole thing is autodesk sales pushing people onto fusion and just straight up saying its compliant with ITAR/NDA.

[CRANDALLPRECISION]

I don't see where they push it. I kind of laugh at the nda stuff you bring up when the customers almost always just email a file over. No encryption or ftp site just an attachment.

[seth.madore]

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@chrisdavid605 wrote:

Until some government entity starts dinging company's for using unregistered cloud you can forget about it being on the roadmap. I walk into shops with multi year NDA contracts using fusion and have to explain to owners that they are sharing proprietary information with an unauthorized party. The enforcement on these things will just boil down to when a large enough breach will occurs. The real scam of the whole thing is autodesk sales pushing people onto fusion and just straight up saying its compliant with ITAR/NDA.

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This is 100% false, we do not make any claims of ITAR compliance. Furthermore, when asked by potential customers, we inform them that "No, Fusion is not ITAR compliant".

-Edit-

"NDA" and ITAR are two distinctly different animals. NDA is "just" a "no, I will not share this file with anyone". ITAR is the US Gov saying "everything needs to be in your control and any data stored online needs to be in US based server farms." There's more to it than that, and this is obviously a generalization.

When storing data in Fusion, you're not sharing it with anyone, we don't even have access to your data.

[mindfookologist]

Thank you for the informative response. However, COVID has passed since your comment and I would love to have an update.