Blog Post

The Importance of Notebook drive Encryption

PeterWallace

I just finished reading some alarming stats from a study on Laptop Encryption that I took a part in.

720 IT Security professionals and 874 Business managers from US based organizations were polled about their use of laptop encryption. The study showed 82% of the IT Security Professionals and 58% of Business Managers have employer provided encryption solutions on their laptops. But the study went on to ask other questions and this one was alarming, have you ever disengaged your laptop’s encryption software? 56% of the business managers and 25% of the It Security professionals answered yes often not taking precautions to protect their data!

Why is laptop encryption important you ask?

According to a data breach clearing house, more than 32% of data breaches were the result of a lost or stolen laptop. If you compare this to the fact that only 14% of data breaches were the result of a hacking event, you begin to see where the real problem lies with regards to data security, it is outside the firewall. Desktop sales have slumped dramatically, in favor of notebook computers as well as the newer and smaller netbooks, as a result laptop and mobile device theft and loss related data breaches are expected to sky rocket this year.

What can we do for Laptop Encryption? Start using something!

Microsoft has provided ways to do this starting with Windows XP Pro (sorry Windows XP home does not have this) using the EFS (Encrypting File System) to store files on your hard drive. You can only encrypt files on volumes that are formatted with the NTFS file system as volumes that use the FAT file system will not encrypt and will error. Windows Vista and Windows 7 Ultimate and enterprise operating systems included Bit Locker Drive Encryption which is a full disk encryption. Bit Locker Drive Encryption is a logical volume encryption system. A volume may or may not be an entire drive, and can span one or more physical drives. Encrypting File System may be used in conjunction with Bit Locker to provide protection once the operating system kernel is running. Protection of the files from processes/users within the operating system can only be performed using encryption software that operates within Windows, such as Encrypting File System. Bit Locker and Encrypting File System therefore offer protection against different classes of attacks.

Users of other systems will need to look into 3rd party solutions. There are many out there from open source like truecrypt ( www.truecrypt.org ) to fully paid versions like PGP Whole Disk Encryption ( www.pgp.com ).

92% of the IT Security Professionals report that someone in their organization has had a laptop lost or stolen and 71% report that it resulted in a data breach. Only 45% report that the organization was able to prove the contents were encrypted! What are you waiting for?

Lost USB Drives or Smart Phones? Wait that’s another day and another set of Encryption.

By Eberly Systems 02 May, 2024
West Lawn, PA, May 2, 2024 — Eberly Systems , the West Lawn-based managed IT services and managed voice provider, today announces its acquisition of the Lebanon-based LYLAB Technology Solutions. Eberly Systems seeks to further a movement of people who are motivated and equipped to make a difference in their world through their daily work. They believe in building lasting partnerships based on trust and transparency while delivering industry-leading solutions to support and protect critical business assets. Driven by the principles of people, excellence, integrity, and stewardship, the team prides itself on partnering with companies to securely, reliably, and efficiently grow their businesses. “We cannot be more excited to join forces with the LYLAB team,” comments Kordel Eberly, Eberly Systems President & Founder. “ The integration of LYLAB Technology Solutions into Eberly Systems solidifies our commitment to providing small businesses with unparalleled service and support. We’re proud of this new opportunity to carefully design and manage the IT infrastructure and systems of even more local businesses and communities.” The acquisition solidifies the Eberly Systems commitment to supporting businesses in Lebanon County. Merging the two teams together as one entity offers the collective team the benefit of enhancing capabilities, refining processes, and extending reach to better serve the evolving needs of small businesses in the surrounding area. Future plans include expanding their presence into Lancaster County.
computer help with IT support
By Eberly Systems 16 Jan, 2024
A trusted MSP can be your invaluable strategic partner.
By Eberly Systems 02 Jan, 2024
These 5 key features of Office 365 Business Premium make it essential for businesses to have.
set of keys
By Eberly Systems 19 Dec, 2023
Eberly Systems has been hard at work over the last year in a concerted effort to enhance the security posture of our clients’ information technology environments. Here are the quarterly updates.
construction site
By Eberly Systems 03 Jul, 2023
After years of steady growth, the workforce at a construction development and property management company was becoming increasingly frustrated by disorganized data. Eberly Systems deployed a hybrid cloud storage solution for efficiency and secure data access.
By Nate M. 01 Jun, 2023
SharePoint file storage has both features and limitations that you should be aware of while storing and accessing files. Here's a rundown.
By Nate M. 05 Jan, 2023
These are the Eberly Systems recommendations for creating good passwords in 2023.
By Eberly Systems 15 Dec, 2022
Every business relies on phones and a phone service. In accordance with Eberly Services Managed IT, we offer Managed Voice solutions for both handheld and softphones supported by our stellar sales and help desk teams.
By Eberly Systems 04 Oct, 2022
Eberly Systems is proud to offer new services around managed endpoint detection & response, cloud security, business internet brokerage, and unlimited projects.
By Becky 22 Sep, 2022
Annual fundraisers offer a great opportunity to use company paid volunteer time off.
More Posts
Share by: