Protecting data on lost laptops with encryption

Laptops are easily lost or stolen. It’s embarrassing for the person who has left the laptop in the back of the car, or let it out of their sight at a conference or in the airport. It’s more than embarrassing for your company however. Laptop loss or theft presents a real danger of serious data breach, leading to security and compliance problems.

In March 2011, a BP employee lost a laptop while travelling. It contained the personal data of thousands of compensation claimants, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The data included names, phone numbers, addresses and social security numbers. The laptop was password protected but the information wasn’t encrypted. BP had to contact all those affected and tell them that their important personal data had been compromised.
This huge case highlights the need for all confidential data to be properly and appropriately protected. Whether a laptop is lost, stolen as a crime of opportunity, or targeted by a thief who has specific knowledge of your business, the result is the same. The laptop has gone, and everything contained on it is beyond your control, and vulnerable to abuse.
Password protection alone is not enough to protect your data. The worst case is that there’s a Post-It note stuck on the laptop with the password written on it. It may be that a default password is being used by more than one employee. Even a unique password can be bypassed, because it is data on the disk drive like everything else. If the data is not protected, neither is the password, and it can be accessed easily.
Security of data is not the only risk faced when a laptop goes missing. Compliance issues are raised when considering potential effects of data breaches through loss or theft. The Data Protection Act, industry regulations such as the Payment Card Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and ISO 27001 require information to be kept safe and secure. A laptop containing data that can be easily accessed by an unauthorized user is neither safe nor secure.
Encryption protects all your data. Once encrypted, only those who are authorized can access it. The password is part of the encrypted data, and can’t be discovered by someone who doesn’t know it. Your data remains safe even if your laptop is stolen or goes missing.
Effective encryption solutions can be found in Sophos Safeguard products. Full-disk encryption protects all confidential and sensitive data on desktops, laptops and removable media. It allows authorized users to share data securely, easily and fast. Detailed logs, along with compliance reports on users and encrypted devices keep you informed. With Sophos Safeguard you can prevent data breaches, comply with regulations, and ensure security and data protection is up to date.
Human error will always mean that laptops are lost or left vulnerable to theft. The specialists at Intraspace can provide you with an encryption package that means your data is protected whatever happens. They will help you to maintain up to date and efficient encryption solutions, so a laptop left on the train is an inconvenience, not a security and compliance disaster.