Abstract: The disclosure is related to a system and a method for managing group files. The system allows a user to begin a work project and set up an access control list that is used to control the project. The user-side device can first acquire a certificate corresponding to an access control list. Then the access control list is configured to set up one or more policy groups that manage the access privilege of a file. Each policy group has one or more members. When the policy groups are in operation, the member in each policy group acquires the certificate of the group's access control list from the management host, and can synchronously acquire a privilege data given by the certificate. According to the privilege data, the member in the policy group is allowed to read, write, print, copy, delete, and convert the file generated under the access control list.

Abstract: A policy group based file protection method is provided and includes the following steps. A file management driver is executed on the client device of the client. The identity data associated with a client is transmitted to the server when connection between the client and the server is established. The server determines whether the client belongs to a policy group according to the identity data. When the server determines that the client belongs to a policy group, the server transmits a certificate of the policy group to the client device. When the file management driver detects a request for executing a file open procedure, the file management driver determines whether to allow a file access application executing the file open procedure and opening the file based on the certificate received, wherein the request is executed by the file access application installed in the client device.