SIFT is a browser-based metadata identification, and tagging solution. It is designed to make unsearchable data searchable and helps identify and manage sensitive organizational data. SIFT can be used as a stand-alone approval portal for file transfer between security enclaves, and can be integrated seamlessly with existing document management systems. An organization can configure SIFT to look for sensitive data matching keywords, or regular expressions. Once SIFT is configured, it can initiate data transfer approval workflows, and can optionally tag documents with any discovered keywords. SIFT natively supports both searchable documents (e.g., MS Office) and non-searchable assets (e.g., picture, video, and scanned PDFs). SIFT can also be used by system administrators to scan network locations for spilled documents, and includes an API that allows it to be implemented in-line with other document management solutions including high assurance guards, content management systems, or email gateways. Detailed reporting provides valuable real-time audit data about document transfers, and supports integration with enterprise data visualization toolsets.