Most organizations view file sanitization as the final step, a gatekeeper that prevents malware from entering the system. Once a malicious file is disarmed, the job is considered done. But what’s removed from those files can be just as valuable as what’s allowed through. Every stripped-out macro, embedded script, or obfuscated payload contains a trace of the attacker’s tactics, their targets, and their evolving methods.

These traces form a hidden layer of intelligence most security teams overlook. When captured and analyzed, they tell a story: which departments are being probed, what techniques adversaries are using, and how those tactics shift over time. This transforms file sanitization from a purely defensive measure into an active source of insight.

Votiro takes that concept further. Instead of letting that intelligence vanish once a file is cleaned, Votiro captures and converts it into actionable data that feeds the broader security ecosystem. In doing so, it strengthens enterprise defenses, giving SOC teams a clearer picture of what to look for next.

The Hidden Intelligence Inside Every Sanitized File

Every file that passes through a sanitization engine has a story to tell. Buried within each stripped-out element, every macro, embedded object, or malformed script is a fragment of intent. They’re the breadcrumbs of an attack, and together they create a behavioral snapshot of how adversaries operate.

When Votiro Advanced File Sanitization disarms and rebuilds a file, it doesn’t just remove malicious content, it also records the details. The system logs key indicators: exploit types, macro structures, command strings, and other signatures that hint at an attacker’s playbook. These patterns form a unique fingerprint for each campaign, providing invaluable context for defenders.

Imagine a malicious Word document aimed at the finance department. Its macro tries to pull data from an external server with a domain name crafted to resemble a payroll provider. Once sanitized, that file is harmless, but the intelligence it contained lives on. Those details reveal targeting intent, technique reuse, and even the social engineering hooks behind the campaign.

Use Traditional Tools, Get Traditional Results

Traditional security tools tend to operate in absolutes. They scan, detect, and decide whether to block, quarantine, or allow. Once that decision is made, the trail ends. The threat is gone, but so is the opportunity to learn from it. This “detect and forget” model has been used by organizations for years, yet it leaves an enormous gap in understanding how attacks evolve and who they target.

Votiro’s approach flips that script. Our Zero Trust process doesn’t just neutralize malicious content; it records everything worth knowing about it first. The result is more than clean files. It’s a continuous intelligence feed reflecting real-world attacker behavior within your own environment.

Real-Time Threat Intel Extraction

As the sanitization process unfolds, Votiro extracts and categorizes threat attributes in real time. These attributes are more than technical data; they’re clues to how, where, and why attacks occur. Among the key data points captured are:

• File type and origin – whether the threat came from an email attachment, browser download, API, or cloud collaboration tool.
• Type of malicious content removed – including macros, scripts, exploits, and ransomware payloads.
• Hashes, filenames, and behavioral indicators – identifiers that trace how similar threats evolve or spread.
• Recurring campaigns and targeted users – highlighting which departments, users, or workflows are being probed most frequently.

For SOC teams, this means they can learn from every attempted intrusion without ever being exposed to risk, turning prevention into a constant source of intelligence.

Integration with SIEM, SOAR, and Threat Platforms

The intelligence Votiro gathers doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s designed to flow directly into the tools security teams already rely on. Through open APIs, the data extracted during file sanitization integrates seamlessly with existing SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence platforms.

When fed into a SIEM or SOAR platform, this enriched data adds depth and precision to every alert.

• File-level context provides analysts with the “how” and “why” behind each detection, allowing for faster validation and triage.
• Correlation improvements help link seemingly unrelated events across browsers, emails, and collaboration tools, painting a complete picture of a campaign.
• Recurring attack patterns are easier to identify, exposing multi-vector campaigns that might otherwise slip through siloed detection systems.
• Automation triggers streamline response workflows, quarantining affected users, adjusting rules, or initiating hunting playbooks instantly.

Empowering the SOC: From Reactive to Proactive

Once this intelligence is integrated into the SOC, the entire security operation begins to shift. Analysts move from reacting to alerts to anticipating them. With file-level insights feeding directly into their systems, they can identify patterns before incidents occur and understand not just what was blocked, but why it was attempted in the first place.

This level of visibility transforms static defense into active hunting. Analysts can pinpoint which departments or users are being targeted most often and adjust training or policies accordingly. A spike in sanitized Excel macros, for example, may indicate a phishing campaign targeting finance or procurement teams. Instead of waiting for a breach, the SOC can respond with precision, rolling out targeted awareness training, adjusting filters, or updating mail gateway rules to prevent similar attempts.

Over time, the organization evolves from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience, where each file processed not only prevents risk but also contributes to a smarter, stronger defense posture.

Votiro’s Unique Advantage

Few technologies can claim to both stop threats and learn from them. That’s just one way in which Votiro stands apart. While most file security solutions focus solely on prevention, Votiro bridges the gap between sanitization and visibility, turning every neutralized payload into insight that strengthens the organization’s defenses over time.

Now one-in-the-same as Menlo Security, that intelligence becomes even more powerful. Menlo provides deep visibility into browser sessions and web-based activity, while now delivering granular file-borne threat analytics. Together, this provides SOC teams with a comprehensive view of both where attacks originate and what they contain. It’s a 360° understanding of threats in motion, combining context and content in a single, unified view.

Get Votiro to learn all about your files and the clues they hold about your next threats.